Article content After Edmonton Oilers ’ first-round pick Sam O’Reilly’s excellent training camp, through his four pre-season games, we can expect a three-year entry-level contract coming his way soon after the teenage centre was sent back to his junior London Knights team Sunday. “He got better and better every day,” said Oiler coach Kris Knoblauch, who had the 18-year-old O’Reilly on a line with the 38-year-old Corey Perry and Vasily Podkolzin Saturday night in his last Oiler exhibition — fitting because O’Reilly will be skating back in London and seeing Perry’s No. 94 retired jersey there nightly.
“It’s a big jump to go from junior to an NHL camp for the first time and we gave him a lot of responsibilities, either in a checking role, or playing with more offensive guys. He had penalty-kill work, some power play time and, everything we gave him, he handled well. He showed why our scouting staff believed in him,” said Knoblauch.
If his play is as solid in London over the next two months, maybe he gets invited to Canada’s U20 selection camp for the worlds in Ottawa over Christmas. The Oilers believe in Matt Savoie, too, after they traded Ryan McLeod to Buffalo for the local product and especially need his young legs on the oldest team in the NHL but Savoie, 20, was sent to Bakersfield. He played six AHL games last season in Rochester, but that’s the extent of his pro career.
He played about 60 minutes in his four pre-season games and assisted on Cam.