Ranking the Edmonton Oilers' Top 10 Prospects
If this were a list of the most talented players in an organization's system under the age of 25, the Edmonton Oilers would have one of the most impressive lists in the NHL. However, most of the team's top picks are already playing in the majors, which hurts the depth of its prospect system.
With that said, the team still has some nice pieces to come, particularly at centre and on defence, which are key organizational needs.
The following slideshow ranks the team's 10 best Calder-eligible prospects (don't go looking for Martin Marincin, who has played too many NHL games to qualify) and provides capsule scouting reports. Prospects are primarily ranked based on their potential NHL ceiling, but the amount of risk involved in that projection is also a significant factor in this list.
10. Tyler Pitlick
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Profile: Pitlick has two things that every NHL team loves—speed and strength. A bullish right winger with exceptional skating, Pitlick didn't look at all out of place in an NHL cameo last season, and he also has pretty decent puck skills. He can shoot, make a pass and even take the centre position in a pinch.
Risk factor: Injury is the big one here. Pitlick has not been able to stay healthy at the professional level, and it could doom him as a prospect.
NHL projection: Bottom-six forward.
9. David Musil
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Profile: Musil is a throwback player, a conscientious defensive defenceman who does just about everything well. He's big and strong and enjoys the physical side of the game, but it's his attention to detail that really makes him stand out. He's very smart on the ice, with good positioning and a surprising confidence with the puck.
Risk factor: It all comes down to speed. Musil is a somewhat sluggish skater, and while he made a good adaptation as a rookie AHL'er, speed is at more of a premium in the majors. He might be able to make the jump, or he might get eaten alive by fast wingers.
NHL projection: Bottom-four defenceman.
8. Dillon Simpson
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Profile: A left-shooting defenceman who prefers to play on the right side, Simpson is the son of former 50-goal scorer Craig Simpson. He's known for his hockey sense and positional play and last year was captain at the University of North Dakota. He's a classic two-way defenceman who is capable of both advancing the puck and shutting down shooting lanes.
Risk factor: Many a college player has struggled to make the jump to the professional ranks, and Simpson will go through that transition this season. There's also at least some danger that he's a "does everything well, nothing really great" player—the kind that can end up being overlooked.
NHL projection: Second-pair defenceman.
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7. Greg Chase
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Profile: Chase inexplicably slipped to the seventh round in the 2013 draft, but his work since has served notice that he should have gone much higher. An agitating forward with good size (6'0", 195 pounds), intelligence and an impressive offensive toolkit, Chase also has a reputation for being a solid citizen in the defensive end of the rink.
Risk factor: We're still in early days here. Chase had a great 2013-14 campaign, but it was at the junior level and comes only a year after he got pretty close to going undrafted entirely.
NHL projection: Middle-six NHL forward.
6. Jujhar Khaira
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Profile: Khaira is the great power forward hope in the Oilers system; he's a big, fast winger who relishes the physical side of the game. He's posted impressive scoring totals in the BCHL and at the college level, but when he moved to the WHL last season, he saw his numbers fall off under defence-minded coach Kevin Constantine.
Risk factor: Khaira's ceiling is much more open to debate after a disappointing scoring year, and again this is a player we haven't seen make the transition to the professional ranks.
NHL projection: Middle-six forward.
5. Martin Gernat
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Profile: Gernat is a boom-or-bust prospect. A good skating defenceman with a projectable 6'5" frame and offensive creativity, he is the kind of player who could end up a fixture on a good team's top four for a long time or never play more than handful of NHL games. He compares in many ways to Martin Marincin, who had a great debut for Edmonton one season ago.
Risk factor: Gernat's 6'5" but typically gets listed at less than 200 pounds. He's already 21, and there are concerns that he's not strong enough to handle the NHL game. He's also prone to defensive brain cramps.
NHL projection: Top-four defenceman.
4. Bogdan Yakimov
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Profile: The Oilers' "other Yak" comes from the same hometown as 2012 No. 1 pick Nail Yakupov but plays a much different game. He's a massive centre (the KHL's official website lists him at 6'4", 220 pounds) with decent numbers for his age in top leagues, and at least as importantly he wins faceoffs and has experience in killing penalties.
Risk factor: Skating is a big question mark, and if Yakimov struggles early in Oklahoma City, he wouldn't be the first European forward to do so.
NHL projection: Middle-six forward.
3. Oscar Klefbom
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Profile: Klefbom has not posted big offensive totals at any level over the last few years, because that's not his game. It's not that he can't make a pass. He's remarkably good at both skating and moving the puck, even when under pressure. But he's primarily a defensive defenceman—a big, strong, lightning-fast rearguard whose chief responsibility lies in eliminating the opposition's offence.
Risk factor: He's wonderfully gifted physically, and he's a near-lock for an NHL career. The one thing that might limit him is his hockey sense; he struggled at times in that department in his first North American season, and it might keep him from being a difference-maker.
NHL projection: Top-four defenceman.
2. Darnell Nurse
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Profile: Like Klefbom, Nurse has the same combination of size, strength and speed that makes him an exceptionally promising NHL prospect. One key difference is that while Klefbom doesn't shy away at all from a physical game, Nurse has a reputation for relishing it. Another is that Nurse has more offensive potential.
Risk factor: Aside from the fact that he's still at the junior level, there isn't much of a risk factor to speak of.
NHL projection: Top-four defenceman.
1. Leon Draisaitl
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Profile: Draisaitl, the No. 3 selection in the 2014 draft, brings the kind of young, elite offensive talent that the Oilers have in spades these days. The things that set him apart are his position (he plays centre, a weak point on Edmonton's depth chart) and his size (6'2", 204 pounds at the combine). He's a puck-possession player blessed with exceptional vision and intelligence and a complete offensive toolkit, and he's a good bet to bring all of those to the Oilers roster in 2014-15.
Risk factor: Draisaitl's skating is the one area that could use some work. Additionally, he's a fresh pick, and younger players are always riskier. But there really isn't a lot of risk associated with top-three draft picks.
NHL projection: Top-six NHL centre.
Jonathan Willis covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for more of his work.
Statistics courtesy of EliteProspects.com, unless otherwise noted. Red Line Report (subscription required) was consulted in writing profiles.
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