Welcome back to the Oil Rig’s annual player profile series which looks at all the prospects within the Edmonton Oilers organization. This iteration looks at the recently signed undrafted Portland Winterhawks winger, James Stefan.
Who is James Stefan?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RW | Right | 6’0” | 185 LBS | 19:46 |
Stefan’s on-ice production
The 2003 born over-ager from Laguna Beach, California has a hockey family as his father is former NHLer, Patrik Stefan. The younger Stefan has been a longtime staple on the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, appearing with the club since the 2019–20 season.
After the pandemic hit in 2020, after six games in the WHL, Stefan chose to temprorarily take his talents down south to the USHL’s Lincoln Stars during the 2020–21 season where he proved to be a capable secondary scorer at a 0.68 PPG pace.
Returning for the 2021–22 season Stefan took a significant step forward in his offensive production as a point per game player. Finishing up his latest overager season as a 50 goal scorer, and maintaining a major junior career 1.01 PPG.
| Year | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | Playoff GP | Playoff G | Playoff A | Playoff P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | WHL | Portland Winterhawks | 68 | 34 | 45 | 79 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 2022–23 | WHL | Portland Winterhawks | 64 | 22 | 42 | 64 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 2023–24 | WHL | Portland Winterhawks | 67 | 50 | 51 | 101 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
All in all Stefan has shone at the Major Junior level and the Oilers hope he can translate this to the next level leading to him signing with them earlier this year as an undrafted free agent. Look for the scoring winger to make an impact in the AHL next season.
Stefan’s player profile
The 6’0” Stefan has the typical toolkit of a sniper, who largely serves as an offensive play driver and executor. The American wingers game is highlighted by his offensive instincts, puck skills, and shooting.
Stefan’s strengths
Offensive instincts
Stefan without a doubt has the soft skill to be an effective player at the pro-level with good offensive vision, playmaking, and finishing ability that combine to make him an adequate threat in the offensive zone.
In offensive transition he displays quality touch and go passes with a nose for the net, displaying quality positioning, offensive awareness, and play reading which should combine to make him an scoring threat at the next level.
There are occasional elements of deception to his game as well especially off the rush with smart cutbacks (space creation), creative passing plays, and look offs/fake-shot passes to the slot. Stefan shows deceptive offensive instincts with a clear ability to exert offensive pressure on opposing teams.
In the o-zone Stefan also flashes offensive creativity with some good non-lateral puck movement, strong play option identification, and finishing ability particularly on rebounds. His overall play in-zone displays a a strong sense of positioning, play anticipation, and above average play reading.
This playmaking and creativity is cemented with his ability to generate 0.79 scoring chances per game by himself.
This play anticipation is especially evident in pass interceptions as he can occasionally read ahead of plays and regain puck possession before the opposing team even has a chance to start and offensive transition.
A good indication of his offensive upside is the fact that the Winterhawks forward started 53% of his total shifts in the O-zone.
Stefan was a play driver on special teams as well. The American winger’s power-play TOI of 3:43 per game mixed in with his overall versatility of playing everywhere from net front, to bumper, to half-wall could make him a candidate for power play time in Bakersfield.
Puck skills
The Laguna Beach product shows quality puck skills through notable passing, facilitating, and handling.
Stefan leans shooter more than passer, but when the Winterhawks forward does choose to pass they rarely miss their target with a 85% passing accuracy, and can serve as a offensive transitional asset with his previously mentioned option identification mixed in with quality long and short passing.
Upon zone entry Stefan often likes to charge the net and often attempts to deke oppossing defenders out with moderate deke success (74%) pointing to above average dekeing, puck control, and mobility.
In controlled zone play he shows good play support with quality facilitation, flashes of offensive poise (waiting for space), and hand eye (through the occasional tip, or deflection).
Shooting
Stefan is a quality sniper at the WHL level. The forward is a shooting threat every single shift because of his high quality mechanical release, shooting posture, and volume.
Stefan’s shot particularly shines as he has a quick release, where he pushes down and is able to generate significant stick leverage and power behind his shots, while reducing puck bobbles.
In addition the 6’0” winger displays a good shooting posture which has a clean weight transfer that adds even more leverage, power, and accuracy to his already deadly shot. Mix in the diversity within his shooting as he has capable one-timers, slap shots, and snap shots which all show these same fluid mechanics.
Furthering the potency of his shot is the 68% shooting accuracy he posted for the entire 2023–24 season, which is even more impressive when taken into account his 8 shots per game. Eight shots per game is unsustainable at the pro level and at the AHL level would demonstrate poor shot selection and decision making.
Stefan’s areas of improvement
Overall Stefan has a weaker game away from the puck, and struggles with compete level, defensive awareness, and physicality. The young American also needs some refinement of skating and decision making aspects as well.
Compete level/physicality/skating
His play away from the puck is extremely passive in all three zones. Other concerning notables include limited play involvement, hustle, and stick positioning. In defensive transition Stefan remains largely in-effective as he plays no consistent role on the forechecking, and is consistently last on the backcheck.
In addition his effectiveness in the neutral zone is harmed by his lack of lane awareness, and no indication of a consistently active stick which displays concerns around poor defensive awareness, positioning, compete level, and lack of defensive responsibility.
At the WHL level he does contribute 2:15 on the Penalty kill, but this likely is not transferable to professional hockey as he lacks high end risk assessment that other plays will possess. This risk assessment is articulated through the sheer amount of chances against that develop in front of Stefan.
Largely Stefan’s game lacks physicality, which is fine, as he is a soft skill player. His frame does lack muscle mass which produces problems around establishing body leverage in the o-zone, and hit absorption as he plays against more physically mature opponents.
Further physicality and compete level improvements will help his 50% puck battle winning percentage which should allow him to generate more chances then he already is.
One other area that has notable limitations for the American is skating.
Simpily put it is just below average. This below average skating is caused by poor posture that interrupts his stride a bit allowing it to be shorter and mechanically flawed meaning he has to complete more strides to get the same distance as other players (busy feet).
This mechanical issue then has by products of reduced power, speed, and acceleration, and this is not as major of an issue as it could be, it will still need to be fixed in order for Stefan to find that next layer to his game.
Skating provides further issues around route creation and angles of attack that the scoring winger could benefit from.
Stefan’s next steps
Being an undrafted free agent does have some perks including almost no organization, fan, or team pressure on oneself.
The winger has now aged out of the CHL, and is now projected to compete for a roster spot on the Oilers AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. There expect him to be a secondary scorer used effectively in offensive zone play, and as a possible power-play contributor.
Projection with the Oilers
Stefan is much more of a one-dimensional player than some of the other prospects within the Oilers system so expect his developmental time to reflect that.
NHL ETA: 4+ years
Role: Likely a bottom-six secondary scorer, or AHL top-six point producer
