Nikita Filatov Would Be a Great Fit for the Edmonton Oilers

Already with a plethora of solid NHL prospects currently in the system, the Oilers have no glaring needs coming into the NHL draft. However, with all the slam dunk picks the scouting staff and Kevin Lowe have made over the past four drafts, the one thing the Oilers lack in the farm system is a dynamic right winger. And by dynamic, I mean, well, dynamic.

The ideal winger should have game-changing speed, great puck-handling ability, and the talent to create scoring chances not only for himself, but for his teammates as well. Think Ales Hemsky meets Pavel Bure meets North American hockey.

And then think Nikita Filatov.

Filatov has all the right tools to become a high-impact player, if not a superstar, at the NHL level. He has the great skating, blazing speed, great hockey sense, drive, and commitment to play in North America. These attributes are often lost upon Russian prospects.

He has shone with Russia on the international stage this year, competing in a total of five tournaments and recording 35 points in 25 games, including 16 goals.

But what’s most impressive is the way he played at the World Juniors, averaging more than a point per game at a tournament dominated by 19-year-olds. Adding to his luster as an NHL prospect, he has stated his intentions to play in North America multiple times and speaks English fluently.

But then there comes the daunting task of trading up to get this phenom. But good drafting over the past couple of seasons and the surprising success of Cogliano, Gagner and Nilsson has given Kevin Lowe a bit of flexibility in terms of the future of this club, something he didn’t necessarily have in the past.

There are a couple of different ways he could go about doing this. One thing is for certain: either Dwayne Roloson or Matthieu Garon will be gone by the time next season rolls around.

Jeff-Drouin Deslauriers will have to clear waivers next season if he is sent down to Springfield. Bryan Pitton has already signed an entry level contract to be Devan Dubnyk’s backup next year.

Odds are it will be Roloson who will be moved, but something else has to be added to make this an attractive offer. Combined with the 22nd overall pick (from Anaheim) and a good prospect, it would be an offer most teams would give serious thought to, depending on who that good prospect was.

If a deal similar to this gets done, that good prospect has to be Rob Schremp. Fact of the matter is that he has been unable to crack the Oilers roster two years in a row. The emergence of the KID line hasn’t made things any easier for him. He still has Shawn Horcoff ahead of him on the depth chart. Schremp’s game isn’t suited for a checking role, so being a third-liner is out of the question for him.

With all these obstacles, he will not get a generous shot at making the team during training camp. Keep in mind, Schremp had a very good offensive year for the Springfield Falcons. He led them with 76 points in 78 games.

The New York Islanders have the fifth overall pick in the draft and Roloson would provide Rick DiPietro with invaluable mentorship. Roloson would still be a solid backup when called upon too.

Schremp would have an easier time trying to secure a roster spot with really no one in front of him. He could be a Calder candidate playing with Kyle Oksposo next year. The Islanders would still get a very good selection with the 22nd pick.

The Hockey News ranked Schremp as the 65th best prospect in the entire NHL, a very good ranking considering the number of quality prospects in hockey.

Another scenario would have Shawn Horcoff, Dwayne Roloson, and that 22nd overall pick going to New York in exchange for that coveted fifth overall pick.

Horcoff is a second line center on most NHL teams and has the ability to put up a point-per-game pace when he’s healthy. We saw that last year with his fast start.

He’s only 29 and has a few solid years ahead of him. Also, the Oilers actually played better after he was forced to sit out the rest of the season. This way the second line center job would be Schremp's to lose come training camp, barring the signing of a free agent.

If MacTavish and Lowe are serious about Schremp having a chance to make the team, this scenario works out well. Bottom line is that the 22nd is good, but the fifth is much better. Filatov would be a cornerstone of this franchise for years to come and the risk is very minimal. The only question is whether or not Kevin Lowe and company feels the same way.