Which prospects are likely to make Oilers?
It’s not just the big-name draft picks who drive successful NHL franchises.
It’s the unheralded prospects who step up and fill in roles on the team after veteran players are dealt away because they’re too costly under the salary cap.
For example, top picks like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have led the Chicago Blackhawks to Stanley Cup victories, but a crucial part of the team’s success has also been later-round draft picks like Brandon Saad (second round, 2011), Andrew Shaw (fifth round, 2011), Marcus Kruger (fifth round, 2009) Niklas Hjalmarsson (fourth round, 2005), Bryan Bickell (second round, 2004) and Corey Crawford (second round, 2003).
With the addition of Connor McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers might have finally found the right mix of young, top-end elite talent, but who are the team’s Hjalmarsson, Shaw or Crawford?
At The Cult of Hockey analytics blog, Jonathan Willis, Bruce McCurdy and myself have rated the Oilers’ top prospects, with top picks McDavid, Darnell Nurse and Griffin Reinhart coming in first, second and third. After that, the Oilers have a group of eight prospects with reasonable NHL potential down the road. Here’s a look at my rankings of the players and their potential:
4. BRANDON DAVIDSON, 24, 2010 SIXTH-ROUND DRAFT PICK
Davidson might have been a low draft pick, but he was the best player on Edmonton’s Oklahoma City farm team in the 2014 American Hockey League playoffs. Davidson lacks high-level skill, but he’s smart with and without the pick. NHL potential: Solid defensive third-pairing NHLer by 2016-17.
5. BOGDAN YAKIMOV, 20, 2013 THIRD-ROUND PICK
Yakimov is huge at sixfoot-five, 232 pounds and skilled with 28 points in 57 AHL games last season. He doesn’t look for hits, but can absorb them and still control the puck. NHL potential: Third-line centre/winger in 2016-17.
6. GREG CHASE, 20, 2013 SEVENTH-ROUND PICK
After showing himself as a top attacking junior forward with some grit, Chase played for Oklahoma City in the 2014 playoffs and worked his way up to the top line. He’s got some skill, but will need to play aggressively to make NHL. NHL potential: Fourth-line winger in 2017-18.
7. ANTON SLEPYSHEV, 21, 2013 THIRD-ROUND PICK
Slepyshev finally became a Kontinental Hockey League scoring threat in his third season with Ufa Salavat, scoring nine goals in his final 18 games of the 2014-15 season. He will need time in the AHL, but if a young player can score in the KHL, a tough league to score points, that’s a strong positive signal. NHL potential: Third-line winger in 2017-18.
8. IIRO PAKARINEN, 24, 2011 SEVENTH-ROUND PICK
He scored 17 goals in 39 games for Oklahoma City last season. He’s big, likes to shoot, isn’t afraid to hit and earned praise from former Oilers coach Todd Nelson for his early-season play with the Barons: “He’s probably been our most complete player and most consistent player. … He plays both ends very well, he has a great shot, he’s a big strong guy and he skates very well.” That’s a rave review and, soon enough, Pakarinen got his first chance with the Oilers. NHL potential: NHL veterans with one-way contracts like Teddy Purcell, Matt Hendricks, Luke Gazdic and Lauri Korpikoski are ahead of him, but Pakarinen has the attitude and the game to find a way to make an impact on an NHL fourth line as early as this season.
9. LAURENT BROSSOIT. 2011 SIXTH-ROUND PICK
Brossoit excelled at Oklahoma City last season, posting a .918 save percentage in 53 games. He also had one unforgettable NHL game, stopping 49 of 51 shots against the San Jose Sharks. NHL potential: Backup goalie in 2016-17.
10. JUJHAR KHAIRA, 21, 2012 THIRD-ROUND PICK
Khaira is huge at six-foot-four, 215 pounds. He likes to hit and he’s got some skill. He scored just four goals in 51 AHL games in his first season, but by the playoffs he was a consistent threat on the attack with his aggression and strong stickhandling. NHL potential: Fourth-line centre/winger 2017-18.
11. JORDAN OESTERLE, 23, UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT
Oesterle isn’t big, just sixfoot, 185 pounds, but he’s as agile as any AHL defender. He scored 25 points in 65 games for Oklahoma City last year and was particularly strong in the playoffs after he teamed up with Nurse. They formed perhaps the fastest, most dynamic defence pairing that’s ever been seen in the Oilers organization. NHL potential: Third pairing 2017-18.
dstaples@edmontonjournal. com Journal columnist David Staples is a regular contributor to The Cult of Hockey analytics blog