The Edmonton Oilers’ prospects saw plenty of action this past week. Despite some strong individual performances across all leagues, we had to give this week’s spotlight to the postseason, both upcoming and underway. Let’s dive right into it!
Welcome to the TOR Edmonton Oilers prospect update. Each week, we’ll take a dive into how the Oilers’ prospects have done in their respective leagues. We have defined a prospect as a skater who has played fewer than 65 NHL games, and is younger than 25 years of age. All data is from EliteProspects. We also use an NHLe calculator built by Christian Roatis (@Croatis) which is used to estimate a player’s equivalent point total in the NHL based on how they are performing in their respective league. The calculator uses the difficulty of the given league combined with the ease at which a player puts up points to determine the NHLe.
Playoffs are starting for many leagues
Across the world many of the top leagues are winding down their regular seasons in preparation for the playoffs, if their playoffs have not yet started. This will mean the beginning of a long summer for most of the players in these leagues, including the prospects in the Edmonton Oilers system.
For example, Patrik Puistola and his Jukurit team have already been eliminated, meaning he will no longer be making highlight reel plays for us to check in on, save for a potential World Championship appearance.
The NCAA and KHL have entered their versions of the postseason. The CHL is mere games away from their playoffs, and the AHL is winding down as well.
This and That
AHL
The Bakersfield Condors went 2–1–0 on the week, continuing their late season push for a long playoff spot. For the time being they look to be well on their way to doing so, which would be a nice platform for their young forwards, in particular, to gain some experience, meaningful spring hockey in the professional ranks. With the amount of rookie forwards playing key roles on the team this in itself is something of an accomplishment.
Raphael Lavoie has slowed down a little this week amidst some tight defensive games, but still managed two assists, including this one on the power play. Clearly an intentional shot-pass, made to be tipped, Lavoie finds Justin Bailey through the traffic.
OHL
This is a classic example of Matvey Petrov’s work on the power play. Cycling atop the zone, Petrov eventually works his way to his weak side flank. Coming down into the zone, open to the passer, Petrov fires a one-timer from one knee, beating the goalie with his quality.
As the North Bay Battalion break up the ice Petrov awaits at the far blueline. As a teammate gains the line with speed he drops the puck to Petrov, moving slowly along the wall. Petrov channels his inner Leon Draisaitl with a Herculean cross ice backhand pass right onto his teammates tape. Vision to see the play, skill to execute it.
The Battalion will be one of the OHL’s top teams and will be looking to improve on their conference final sweep at the hands of the OHL Champion Hamilton Bulldogs last season.
WHL
Jake Chiasson has done well on his new team, notably thriving in a new spot on the power play closer to the net. Here Chiasson shows some good reaction time, catching the puck on his backhand, before finding a teammate at the netfront. It is a strong decision made in a split second, proving that Chiasson might be a valuable net front presence on the power play at higher levels going forward.
The Saskatoon Blades have clinched a playoff spot and Chiasson figures to be a big part of their playoff run as a member of their top six and contributor on their top power play unit.
NCAA
Skyler Brind’Amour is an older prospect, a college senior, without significant offensive totals. However, winning defensive forward of the year proves that the centre brings a lot of other skills to the table. If the Oilers do not sign the forward by August 15, he will become a free agent, meaning if either side wishes their potential partnership could be terminated.
Brind’Amour seems to be worth a look, not only as a potential fit in the bottom so in a season or two, but also as a stabilising defensive force on a Bakersfield team that will continue adding young, talented, offensive players.
KHL
Maxim Beryozkin breaks up the ice at full speed, taking the pass as he comes across the blueline, beating the goalie just inside the short side post. Beryozkin shows off his skating and shooting well here, getting some lateral movement involved, changing the angle on the chance.
Already in the second round, Beryozkin’s Lokomotiv team is down two games to zero in a matchup against the second seed, and clear favourite CSKA Moscow. Despite putting his team up 2–0 in this highlight, Lokomotiv would lose this game 3–2.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the KHL playoff bracket, Nikita Yevseyev’s Ak Bars Kazan team is in the second round as well. The top seed in the East Conference, Ak Bars is currently up two games to one in their series.
In this clip Yevseyev stands at the near point, firing a low shot on net that ends up counting as a secondary assist. Though the play isn’t exactly dazzling, the context is important.
Yevseyev is on the ice in the third period with his team down a goal in a playoff game, one that could, and eventually did, send his team to the next round. To hold a regular spot in the KHL as a teenager is impressive in itself, let alone as a defenceman. Yevseyev played a regular role all season long, despite being a bit lower in the lineup, for one of the league’s top teams.
Yevseyev is not an offensive dynamo, as least at this point, but has shown an outline of offensive utility. More of a defensive presence, Yevseyev’s body and responsible game are beyond his years. With some improvements as a breakout passer, Yevseyev would take a huge step in his development.
There is a long road in front of Yevseyev, but depending on when he makes the move to North America, and how higher up the lineup he is able to climb in the KHL before that time, there is a chance that Yevseyev skips the AHL altogether.
As a late pick Yevseyev is little discussed, but this season has done nothing but raise the defenceman’s profile.
NHLe Leaderboard
NHLe is a metric used to estimate a player’s offensive output at the NHL level from their point totals in their respective league. Here are the Oilers’ current top five (bracketed numbers denote movement from the previous week).
- Matvey Petrov 38.1 (1)
- Maxim Beryozkin 33.0 (2)
- Raphael Lavoie 31.1 (3)
- Patrik Puistola 24.8 (4)
- Tyler Benson 24.3 (5)
Overall regular season totals for Oilers’ prospects
Forwards
| Player | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM | +/- | NHLeLeague | NHLe |
| Justin Bailey (RW/LW) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 46 | 15 | 12 | 27 | 0.59 | 34 | -7 | AHL | 23.5 |
| Tyler Benson (LW) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 34 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 0.62 | 29 | -4 | AHL | 24.7 |
| Maxim Beryozkin (RW/LW) | totals | 61 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 0.52 | 22 | 7 | totals | 33.0 | |
| Xavier Bourgault (C) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 56 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 0.55 | 16 | 7 | AHL | 21.9 |
| Skyler Brind’Amour (C) | Quinnipiac Univ. | NCAA | 37 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 0.84 | 21 | 20 | ECAC | 19.3 |
| Maxim Denezhkin (C) | totals | 39 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 0.54 | 90 | 1 | totals | ||
| Seth Griffith (C/RW) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 60 | 17 | 37 | 54 | 0.9 | 30 | -13 | AHL | 35.9 |
| James Hamblin (LW/C) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 40 | 8 | 15 | 23 | 0.58 | 12 | -2 | AHL | 23.1 |
| Dylan Holloway (LW/C) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | AHL | 39.9 |
| Mattias Janmark (C/W) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | AHL | 39.9 |
| Klim Kostin (LW/RW) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.44 | 15 | -4 | AHL | 17.5 |
| Shane Lachance (LW) | Youngstown Phantoms | USHL | 51 | 29 | 17 | 46 | 0.9 | 43 | 10 | USHL | 19.9 |
| Raphaël Lavoie (C/RW) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 49 | 22 | 16 | 38 | 0.78 | 39 | 8 | AHL | 31.1 |
| Jeremias Lindewall (RW/LW) | Östersunds IK | HockeyAllsvenskan | 35 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0.17 | 12 | -16 | HockeyAllsvenskan | |
| Brad Malone (C/LW) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 35 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 0.54 | 24 | 4 | AHL | 12.4 |
| Tomas Mazura (C) | St. Lawrence Univ. | NCAA | 28 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 0.43 | 8 | 2 | ECAC | 9.9 |
| Greg McKegg (C/W) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 57 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 0.28 | 56 | 4 | ||
| Joel Määttä (C) | Univ. of Vermont | NCAA | 36 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0.39 | 18 | -10 | Hockey East | 12.6 |
| Matvei Petrov (RW/LW) | North Bay Battalion | OHL | 63 | 27 | 63 | 90 | 1.43 | 32 | 32 | OHL | 37.9 |
| Noah Philp (C) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 59 | 15 | 13 | 28 | 0.47 | 37 | 2 | AHL | 18.7 |
| Patrik Puistola (RW/LW) | Jukurit | Liiga | 60 | 16 | 24 | 40 | 0.67 | 12 | -8 | Liiga | 24.8 |
| Carter Savoie (LW) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 40 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 0.28 | 18 | -13 | 11.2 | |
| Devin Shore (C) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | AHL | 39.9 |
| Tyler Tullio (C/RW) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 51 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 0.51 | 14 | 2 | AHL | 20.3 |
Defencemen
| Player | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PPG | PIM | +/- | NHLeLeague | NHLe |
| Philip Broberg (D) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0.57 | 0 | -2 | AHL | 22.7 |
| Jake Chiasson (C/RW) | totals | 68 | 20 | 36 | 56 | 0.82 | 26 | -16 | WHL | 20.3 | |
| Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | 37 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 0.76 | 16 | -20 | WHL | 18.8 | |
| Jason Demers (D) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 48 | 0 | 16 | 16 | 0.33 | 67 | -7 | AHL | 13.2 |
| Vincent Desharnais (D) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.15 | 19 | 1 | AHL | 6.0 |
| Cam Dineen (D) | totals | 57 | 4 | 37 | 41 | 0.72 | 14 | -10 | totals | 28.7 | |
| Philip Kemp (D) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 59 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 0.29 | 45 | 6 | AHL | 11.6 |
| Luca Münzenberger (D) | Univ. of Vermont | NCAA | 28 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0.18 | 24 | -9 | Hockey East | 5.8 |
| Markus Niemeläinen (D) | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 28 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0.25 | 16 | 1 | AHL | 10.0 |
| Maximus Wanner (D) | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 44 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 0.68 | 45 | 23 | WHL | 16.8 |
| Nikita Yevseyev (D) | Ak Bars Kazan | KHL | 48 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0.15 | 11 | 7 | KHL | 9.9 |
Goalies
| Player | Team | League | GP | GAA | SV% |
| Calvin Pickard | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 31 | 2.73 | 0.912 |
| Samuel Jonsson | totals | 27 | |||
| Rögle BK J20 | J20 Nationell | 27 | 2.65 | 0.902 | |
| Kristianstads IK | HockeyAllsvenskan | 0 | – | – | |
| Olivier Rodrigue | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 24 | 3.07 | 0.902 |
| Ryan Fanti | totals | 36 | |||
| Fort Wayne Komets | ECHL | 28 | 3.44 | 0.896 | |
| Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 8 | 3.71 | 0.884 |
