The NHL Network released its annual Top 50 NHL Prospects list, prompting reactions from fans of every team. This is a near impossible task, an imprecise science in itself, and a myriad of varied opinions shrouding it further. Naturally, many feel that their team’s prospects are being underrated, perhaps all except Connor Bedard and Chicago Blackhawks fans. Among the less than satisfied are Edmonton Oilers fans, who see no Oilers prospects on the list. As a bonafide perennial contending team, it makes sense that the Oilers would not have much representation on a list of this nature, but should Oilers fans be concerned by the team’s omission from this ranking?
Prospect parameters
Crucial to understanding the issue at hand is to observe the criteria used to define a prospect on this list: under 25 years old, and under 25 NHL games played. Right out of the gate this does a disservice to any Oilers making the list.
Although the Oilers are without top level prospects, they still employ a number of talented young players. Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway eclipsed the games played threshold for this list already, making them ineligible for this ranking. There are many young players who some might consider prospects in this category across the league, but if Broberg or Holloway were eligible they might be considered in this group.
The rest of the Oilers prospect system does have some talent, though clearly not enough to inspire the voters of this list. Less heralded prospects can still turn into legitimate NHL contributors, but for now there are only four prospects in the Oilers system that would have a shot at such a list. Perhaps to help ease any anxious minds across Oil Country, we should look at who these prospects are and how they compare to some of the other prospects on the list.
Xavier Bourgault
For a number of reasons Xavier Bourgault is most likely to have been on this list. Clearly, this starts because of the pedigree, talent, and performance shown by Bourgault since being drafted in the first-round in 2021. A smart support passer, Bourgault can help his team advance the puck with possession across all three zones. Bourgault has a reputation as a responsible defender, and seems to find one-timer opportunities getting lost in quiet ice in the slot.
Bourgault is about nine months younger than Mavrik Bourque, who sits at number 42 on this list. The two were linemates in the QMJHL for a time, but posted similar levels of production last year in their rookie AHL seasons, with Bourgault posting 34 points in 62 games while Bourque posted 47 points in 70 games. While Bourque is a strong prospect in his own right, who brings his own set of skills, it is hard to imagine that Bourgault would be rated much differently.
For now, the nine months and 13 AHL points seems to favour Bourque, but Bourgault remains a bright spot. If this list went to 75 instead of 50, Bourgault would likely find himself ranked. As a player who can contribute on both special teams, Bourgault could find himself worthy of an NHL call up in the near future. It is quite unlikely that Bourgault will be able to earn a spot out of training camp, though with a dominant performance in the early months of the AHL season he could find himself as an in season call up should injuries strike the Oilers forward group.
Nikita Yevseyev
Though perhaps worthy of being ranked in the same tier as Bourgault, at least as far as Oiler prospects go, it is no surprise that Nikita Yevseyev is left off this list. Drafted in the sixth-round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Yevseyev is unheralded. Playing in Russia only further obscures any reports or intrigue that he might be worthy of. His style as a defence first defender is not conducive to league wide hype or attention either.
Take for example, the 41st ranked prospect on the list, Brock Faber. Faber was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings, and was traded to the Minnesota Wild for Kevin Fiala, straight up. Faber turned pro at the end of his NCAA season, playing in a handful of games for the Wild down the stretch of the regular season. Faber held up extremely well in the Wild’s defensive system, playing top four minutes on the right side in his NHL games. In all honesty, Faber might be an upgrade over Matt Dumba, who left the Wild in free agency this upcoming season, though at a fraction of the cost. With a game built around defending, Faber should be much higher on this list, showing a fairly clear bias for offensive production from blueliners. Another defence first defender, 2023 sixth overall pick Dimitri Simashev also finds himself strangely absent from this ranking.
Yevseyev held down a regular spot in the KHL as a teenager, playing on the third pair early in the season, moved down to the fourth pair as his Ak Bars Kazan team loaded up for the playoffs, where Yevseyev was a regular contributor to a run that brought them to the KHL’s Gagarin Cup Finals. Yevseyev showed a defensive maturity well beyond his years, but sprinkled in some promising signs of offence as well.
Yevseyev will likely never amount to a power play contributor at a high level, but showed some sense and daring as a passer. Though most of his work with the puck came in the form of shorter support passing, Yevseyev had a dazzling cross ice breakout pass from behind his teams icing line to the opposition blue line in the KHL Western Conference Finals. Yevseyev showed some sense in sneaking closer to the net during some in-zone attacking as well.
We should expect to see his offensive totals increase a little over the coming years, but a bigger measure of success will be the icetime he is able to earn. If this past season was no fluke, Yevseyev could develop into a top four KHL defenceman over the next two seasons, perhaps even avoiding the AHL altogether if, and when, he decides to come to North America. Due to his style of play even then it might be unlikely that Yevseyev finds himself on such lists, yet his 2022–23 season was extremely encouraging, making him an important piece to the Oilers prospect pipeline.
Max Wanner
Similarly to Yevseyev, Max Wanner’s game is built on defensive ability, something not taken to kindly in this ranking. As a seventh-round pick in 2021, Wanner does share an unheralded pedigree, which adds to being unranked as well. A third factor comes into play as well, as Wanner was mysteriously suspended for the back half of the 2022–23 WHL season. While there is still no official word on what this suspension was for, it is somewhat concerning, if not only keeping Wanner out of the minds of prospect evaluators.
Wanner is a right shot with a big frame, playing with an edge as well as a defensive maturity. This style of play seems to earn him the trust of his coaches at every turn, as Wanner has seen his stock rise consistently since being drafted. Last season, Wanner even impressed at Oilers rookie camp on a pairing with Phillip Broberg, a vision of what might soon come to be a strong pairing in the NHL.
Wanner is not without an offensive element to his game either, as we saw continued growth during his final WHL season. Wanner was more confident with the puck, using saucer passes into space, using his long reach to deke around opponents, and using his improving skating to attack the middle of the ice. Although Wanner is known to be a hard nosed defender, he has a great deal more offence to his game than fellow Oilers Vincent Desharnais or Marcus Niemelainen, for example.
Overview
While the Oilers do have some other prospects who are worth knowing, these three stand above the rest. While they may not have the league wide recognition of some of the players on this top 50 list, there is a lot of potential NHL utility between the three.
The timeline of a potential NHL debut for a number of Oilers prospects is two to three years from now, aligning with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s potential new contracts. Both are certainly due for a raise, meaning the Oilers will appreciate any players that are able to contribute to the team at a lower cap price. The Oilers are likely to continue trading prospects and draft picks away in the pursuit of upgrading the team, but the lack of name brand talent in the prospect pool might serve to steer other teams towards prioritising the acquisition of the Oilers draft picks instead of their prospects.
It might be worth mentioning that one such prospect traded away to Nashville in the Mattias Ekholm deal did not earn a spot in this ranking, Reid Schaefer. A first-round pick in 2022, Schaefer might have seen himself rated with Bourgault, Yevseyev, and Wanner in what is essentially the top tier of Oilers prospects were he still part of the system.
Two more?
The Oilers have two other prospects worth mentioning here, if only briefly. Both Raphael Lavoie and Maxim Beryozkin both seem to be close to NHL ready, perhaps even as soon as this upcoming season were they given the chance. Beryozkin has one more year left on his KHL deal, but seems to be performing well enough to jump right into the NHL when he comes to North America. Meanwhile, Lavoie is an interesting player to watch in training camp as he will be pushing for a spot. Both players are bigger bodies with some offensive skills, but older than most of the prospects ranked, especially amongst the forwards.
Jakob Pelletier of the Calgary Flames did find himself ranked 48th on this list. He was drafted the same season as Lavoie, a mere 12 picks separating the two. Pelletier had near instant success as an AHLer, scoring at a point per game pace in both of his AHL seasons, something Lavoie has done for about half a season thanks to the great stride made in the back half of last season. Pelletier is six months younger than Lavoie as well, and has 24 games in the NHL already, barely under the maximum of 25 games to maintain eligibility for this list. Put it all together and it’s no surprise that Pelletier is rated more highly than Lavoie, although Lavoie has shown flashes of promise.
More than anything, Pelletier barely being ranked shows how difficult it would be for older forwards to be ranked on this list. Beryozkin and Lavoie do have hopes of making an impact on the NHL in the near future, though waning.
