Columbus Blue Jackets pick Oil Kings’ high-scoring Fix-wolansky
Edmonton Oil Kings forward Trey Fix-wolansky was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in Round 7 (204th overall) of the NHL entry draft after going through last year’s event with no takers.
“He’s a small guy who had at on of points in the Western League,” said Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. “Our scouts really liked him with his 90 or so points and there’s lots of really small players in the NHL these days. Also lots of players who go through one draft and become great Nhlers. Let’s see where it goes.”
BUTTON CALLS IT RIGHT ON BOUCHARD SELECTION
TSN commentator Craig Button correctly predicted the Oilers would take London Knights captain Evan Bouchard two days before it happened on his NHL draft show.
“Reminds me of John Carlson,” said Button, who also tossed out Hall of Famer Larry Murphy’s name. “People said Larry couldn’t skate, but he was always one step ahead of a checker.”
OILERS KEEP SLEPYSHEV’S RIGHTS
The Oilers protected their interests when they qualified Anton Slepyshev to keep his NHL rights, even though he’s going back to Russia. He isn’t on CSKA’S KHL roster as of June 24 but will be when his signing is official July 1.
The Oilers have until Monday (5 p.m.) to qualify farmhand forward Kyle Platzer and defenceman Ben Betker or they become unrestricted free agents on Canada Day.
REAUGH PREFERRED RED WINGS
Darryl Reaugh, the Dallas Stars’ play-by-play TV man and former Oilers backup goalie, who was at this draft, remembers his draft day when he went in the second round after playing for Ken Hitchcock in Kamloops.
“I wasn’t at the draft but got a phone call and thought, ‘geez, this is great going to Edmonton,’” Reaugh said. “Then I thought ‘Ahhh, they’ve got (Grant) Fuhr and (Andy) Moog. Couldn’t I have gone to Detroit where they had Tim Cheveldae?”
DEVELOPMENT CAMP BEGINS TODAY
The Oilers have invited 24 players to their development camp at the Downtown Community Arena.
Sessions run at 4:45 p.m. Monday, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and the Billy Moores Cup scrimmage Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome.
The list of players includes Kailer Yamamoto, Tyler Benson and their top three picks of the draft including Evan Bouchard, Ryan Mcleod and goalie Olivier Rodrigue. Also invited were Cooper Marody, J.D. Dudek, George Mcphee’s boy Graham (Boston College draft), Colin Larkin.
THIS ’N THAT
Steve Bartlett, Thomas Vanek’s agent, has been getting calls on his UFA client but said Oilers hadn’t called “as of yet.” They could use Vanek for a year in the top six, depending on how much he wanted with their cap issues ... The Oil Kings haven’t hired a coach yet but one name that’s out there: long-time NHL assistant Brad Lauer, who played in the WHL once upon a time
... The possible two top picks in the 2019 draft — Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko and USA centre Jack Hughes — will both be playing in the Ivan Hlinka here in early August.