The Edmonton Oilers have had a successful offseason to date as they head toward the 2024-25 campaign. With new additions bolstering their forward lineup in Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson while being able to retain most of their unrestricted free agents, the Oilers seem set to run it back and become Stanley Cup favourites.
On Monday morning, the Oilers and Ottawa Senators completed a trade involving three players and a draft pick; the Senators picked up prospects Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson, while the Oilers picked up Roby Jarventie and a fourth-round pick. It was unlikely Bourgault and Chiasson would get their chance in Edmonton, so it was logical to give them another opportunity elsewhere. Meanwhile, Jarventie becomes the second prospect the Oilers have acquired this offseason after Matt Savoie.
Interim general manager Jeff Jackson has helped bolster the Oilers’ weak prospect pool by adding two players with a future in the NHL. Savoie and Jarventie could crack the team’s opening-night lineup, but a season in the American Hockey League (AHL) wouldn’t hurt, either. In this article, we’ll focus on Jarventie and how he could fit into the Oilers’ future.
Jarventie’s Career & Opportunity With Oilers
Jarventie is a 21-year-old from Tampere, Finland who was drafted 33rd overall by the Senators in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft after a strong campaign in Finland where he played in the Mestis league for Koovee, scoring 23 goals and 38 points through 36 games. Since then, the 6-foot-2, 214-pound left-shot winger has slowly been working his way up through the professional levels.
He tried to earn a full-time spot with the Senators, but it didn’t work out. After one season in the Liiga in Finland where he had 25 points through 48 games, Jarventie joined the Senators’ AHL affiliate, where he has spent most of his playing career.
Over parts of five seasons in the AHL, Jarventie has scored 38 goals and 86 points through 136 games, which comes out to a 0.63 points-per-game average. He also has seven NHL games under his belt, all played last season with one assist. He seems to be on the cusp of breaking into the NHL, and the Oilers could offer him a bigger opportunity than the Sens were able to.
Edmonton has a very strong lineup heading into the new season. While Jarventie might be able to sneak into the bottom-six to start the season, Oilers fans should be more excited about his potential future with the team. Management was high enough on Jarventie that they moved out two solid prospects to bring him in, but being patient and allowing him to fine-tune his game will be the key to his development as he aims to find a permanent spot on the Oilers’ roster.
What to Know About Jarventie?
The Jarventie family has strong ties to hockey. Roby’s brother Emil also plays professional hockey in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ system, and their youngest sibling Max is playing in Finland. Their father, Martti, was a Montreal Canadiens draft pick and played professional hockey for 22 seasons before retiring in 2016.
Related: Matt Savoie Calls Opportunity With Oilers a “Young Player’s Dream”
Jarventie is often praised for his shot. He tries to utilize it often, and it usually pays off. He also knows how to utilize his size and get to the net to score goals in the dirty areas, all while having a strong hockey sense away from the puck.
He lost to Canada in the gold medal game of the 2022 World Junior Championship when it was hosted at Edmonton’s Rogers Place, so he knows the arena already.
The Oilers have invested in the future this offseason, and it’s clear their goal is to contend while having young players to fall back on in case things go wrong. Acquiring two solid prospects while building a championship contender is impressive, and Jarventie will surely be looking to prove he is worth what it cost the Oilers to acquire him.
