Ranking prospects is messy business, a subjective balance between upside, probability, age, and production. Ultimately, it will be up to the players as individuals, the Edmonton Oilers as a development staff, and the luck of the draw when it comes to who makes the NHL and who does not. With that in mind, let’s try to rank the Oilers prospects system in a midseason update.
As a whole, the Oilers prospect system is not well thought of, often ranked amongst the weakest league wide. To an extent this should be the case, as the Oilers have routinely traded away young players and draft picks to improve their team over the past eight years or so. Still, there is more to meets the eye with this group of prospects.
The Oilers might not have the star power on the horizon that most teams around the league have, but there do have a significant amount of interesting depth. Though these prospects are separated into tiers, the Oilers do not possess truly elite prospects like Leon Draisaitl once was, let alone Connor McDavid.
Prospects with a longer road ahead of them
Eemil Vinni: He is a highly regarded prospect who suffered a significant back injury last season, Vinni is getting back into the swing of things. There is still a long way to go.
Nikita Yevseyev: His most consistent KHL playing time came as a 19-year-old rookie, a benefactor of KHL lineup regulations. He has yet to command more icetime, but there is still time. He will not be scoring his way into any league.
Dalyn Wakely: In his final OHL season, Wakely plays a forceful and direct game that could translate well into the professional ranks.
Samuel Jonsson: He has played very well in the Allsvenskan this season, a great step forward for his development. If he can continue this success he will rise up these rankings.
Matvey Petrov: He is a skilled OHL scorer, but it has been difficult to translate into AHL success. He will need to breakout to start garnering more attention.
Jayden Grubbe: He is more of a defensive centre, scoring totals will not be the most accurate measurement of progress. Could become a bottom six option.
Goalies can often get the short end of the stick on such lists, but fans should keep an eye on how Jonsson and Vinni progress. Nathaniel Day deserves a shoutout, but any NHL considerations are years away for all three.
In all, these prospects will not hold any trade value league wide. Perhaps some will see something in these players on an individual basis, but there is still a lot of work needed to prove these beliefs well founded. It is likely only the most keen fans will know about these players, and an amount of patience is required.
The NHL may soon be upon them
Matt Copponi: He transferred to Boston University this season and he is performing well at a top tier program. Undersized, but skilled and feisty, Copponi will need to rely on production and work ethic.
William Nicholl: With a fantastic story, he has already outperformed his draft slot in his first post draft season. Scoring at a point per game and firmly moved up the lineup, Nicholl has speed and defensive habits.
Jacob Perreault: He is another big improver, finally scoring in the AHL. It is his first time in an AHL top six, and the former first-round pick undoubtedly has high quality puck skills.
Paul Fischer: A defensive left shot, Fischer won gold with the Americans at the U20 World Junior Championship. With a good frame, Fischer is mobile and will likely continue developing in college the next season or two.
Max Wanner: He is another late pick who has made a name for himself. Wanner has good skating and puck skills for a big, defensive, right shot defenceman. Production is down in his sophomore AHL season, but his primary game is his defensive work. Currently injured.
Beau Akey: He was selected to Canada’s World Junior team, Akey did not inspire extra confidence. After missing a lot of hockey the past two seasons, playing at all is a nice change. The production is solid, but perhaps a bit underwhelming considering expectations. Patience is deserved, the skating skills are present, but he might be the third ranked defence prospect on his OHL team, behind Tristan Bertucci and Kashawn Aitcheson.
Shane Lachance: As the captain of Boston University, Lachance has an NHL frame and a scoring touch. Like Copponi, Lachance is 21-years-old, and could jump into the AHL at the end of his college season.
Sam O’Reilly: With a strange skating stride and sluggish early season production, he will not be everyone’s cup of tea. Still, the Oilers traded up to select him last summer and clearly they see his skill set translating well to the professional ranks when that time comes.
Roby Jarventie: While routinely and currently injured, the size, speed, and skill is obvious though. Some off-puck refining might be necessary to truly earn an NHL role, but nothing can be proven until he can get healthy again.
Maxim Berezkin: He is another big, skilled winger, Berezkin might push for an NHL spot next season if he comes to North America. A passer off the rush, with the agility and puckhandling to attack laterally, Berezkin has improved more pragmatic skills such as forechecking and net front play.
Olivier Rodrigue: He is posting another stellar season in the AHL, and on track to earn an NHL audition at some point. The Oilers could do worse for a third string goalie, and some NHL experience might be the only thing keeping Rodrigue from pushing for the backup job.
These prospects are all worth knowing for Oiler fans, and all have something of a path to becoming regular NHLers. Most will have slightly different orders within this tier, but all are worthy of some appreciation. They may not move the needle in any trade negotiations league wide, but individuals might find their imaginations captured.
Expecting a star or core player to emerge from this group might be ambitious, but the chance that some useful NHL games are within is pretty solid. This volume of decent prospects is a strength that is not easily appreciated from afar, and the Oilers have done well to build a healthy group here.
The Oilers have one strong key piece
Matthew Savoie is the Oilers top prospect. A former top 10 draft pick, and decidedly a winger at this point, Savoie has a level of speed, skill, vision, and overall quality unmatched in this prospects pool. There were concerns about how his game would translate to the professional level, as much of his WHL scoring was on the power play or in transition. After a slow start to the season, Savoie has found his stride, becoming an electric AHL scorer and leading the offensive charge for the Bakersfield Condors. Ryan McLeod is missed to an extent, but Savoie has a much higher upside.
Savoie’s distinction here is noteworthy, not only for his chances to become a key piece for the Oilers NHL lineup one day, but also for his value as a trade asset. Savoie seems to be ready to be a desperation call up this season, and will have a chance to make the team outright next training camp. The most bullish appraisals might already have Savoie as an upgrade over Jeff Skinner, an offensive spark in the middle six. For the Oilers, some patience should be exercised, as finishing strong as a key piece of the Condors will represent a great rookie season for Savoie.
Unfortunately, this also makes Savoie the most likely Oilers prospect to be traded at the deadline. Clearly the team values his skill set, as it was a daring and unexpected move to acquire him this summer. Still, if the Oilers are to make a big acquisition this season they will need to be bold once more. Without a 2025 first-round pick, the Oilers are already short on trade assets.
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