With the first round of the draft concluded last night Draft season is now fully underway. The Edmonton Oilers have four total selections in the 2025 draft with singular 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th round selections in this draft class.
We have a three part series that covers possible selections with their third rounder, now which possible draftees could select with their later picks? Lets take a very brief look at some of the candidates.
Tommy Lafreniere, C, Kamloops Blazers, WHL
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23–24 | D-1 | U18 | Yale Hockey Academy | 30 | 27 | 31 | 58 |
| 23-24 | D-1 | WHL | Kamloops Blazers | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 24-25 | DY | WHL | Kamloops Blazers | 68 | 24 | 32 | 56 |
Playing on a rebuilding WHL squad in Kamloops, Lafreniere stood out this past season as a capable top 6 winger, and a good duo partner for projected second rounder Nathan Behm. Lafreniere continues to show improvement year after year.
The WHLer still has plenty of seasons to work out some limitations before he sees pro-hockey, which means lots of room for error and growth.
What Type of Player is Lafreniere?
Lafreniere plays a heavy two-way forwards game. His game is highlighted for a strong compete level, defensive senses, and hints of physicality.
The most evident aspect of his game is that of his high end motor, play engagement, second effort ability, and defensive pressure exertion. This compete blends nicely with his physcality as he establishes good body positioning, attacks with good angles, and uses his smaller 5’11 frame for good leverage.
He rarely takes a shift off, and shows good defensive anticipation, risk awareness, and quality positioning which allows him to intercept passes, and when combined with his motor and pace makes him absolutely relentless on the puck. Shows higher end defensive play processing and awareness.
The WHL product is frequently, scanning, reading, and adjusting accordingly, which bodes well for future senses growth.
Areas of growth
The main shortcomings of the Blazers forward is his execution, and offensive upside. His main areas of growth include puck skills (puck management), offensive senses, and finishing ability. He shows good effort and willingness to contribute, but that alone does not produce results.
The 5’11 Lafreniere needs growth in his rush instincts, chance generation/offensive instincts, and pass selection in order to find the scoresheet more regularly. Growth around particularly creativity, deception, and puck skills will help with this significantly.
Puck handling and shooting look around WHL average by all regards, so expect significant growth in these areas too.
Summary
With his high end compete, physicality, and defensive senses he shows shades of Sam O’Reilly, minus the point production. This is a basis that the Oilers development staff can build off. He also fits the mold of a majority of the Oilers prospects within the pipeline right now.
Development of his offensive senses might also come with more poise, and experience, as this past season was only his first full year in the WHL.
All in all he might be a bit of a project, but if everything goes well for Lafreniere there is a possibility he carves out a Bottom 6, possible third role line as a defensive checking forward with a high work rate and high dependability for an NHL coach.
Nikita Tyurin, LD, MHK Spartak Moskva, (MHL)
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23–24 | D-1 | U17 2 | Rus Moskva | 32 | 6 | 20 | 26 |
| 23-24 | D-1 | U18 | MHA Moskva-3 U18 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 24-25 | DY | KHL | Spartak Moskva | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24-25 | DY | VHL | Khimik Voskresensk | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24-25 | DY | MHL | MHK Spartak Moskva | 50 | 4 | 16 | 20 |
The young Russian defender proved to be a quality puck mover for MHK Spartak Moskva this past season growing in role and prestige as the season went on. The 6’00 defender even saw some action in the KHL, and VHL this past season as a 17 year old.
What Type of Player is Tyurin?
Tyurin is the classic two-way transitional defender. His game is highlighted by his above average skating, puck skills, and physicality.
Skating is fluid in terms of posture, stride, stride recovery, and hints of acceleration. Also shows good space management and gap control defensively with strong backwards footwork in defensive transition. Shows consistent flashes of agility and mobility.
Tyurin also has quality puck skills with solid handling, puck protection, and flashes of good on-puck timing. Consistentcy shows up, around average motor, and has decent pressure awareness. This bodes well as he has a good frame, a decent physical engagement rate, and risk mitigation efforts.
More physical maturity should make these defensive efforts even more effective.
He shows good defensive responsibility in his own zone, and through solid spacial management, he controls zone enteries against quite well.
Areas of Growth
The main areas of growth include his decision making, compete level, and more dynamic senses. There are mixed-results in terms of play reading, pass selection, and play driving that show some major gaps in the young Russians game.
Tyurin just doesn’t generate much offence off-puck, and this hints at limitations around offensive instincts, lane manipulation, and overall offensive awareness. Poise and play anticipation are two elements firmly under construction with the 6’00 blueliner too.
Games where he isn’t having a commanding performance, he fades into the background entirely, but this is preferable to mistakes.
Summary
Tyurin could go in the 4th but drop as low as the 6th or 7th round, and this could be the exact type of player that the Oilers take a flyer on, as a low risk, higher reward type player. He has the tools to be a professional player, even if it’s ceiling is likely a bottom pairing, or 7th defender at the NHL level.
Charlie Cerrato, C, Penn State, (NCAA)
| Year | Draft Relative | League | Team | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23-24 | D-1 | USHL | Youngstown Phantoms | 45 | 12 | 38 | 50 |
| 24-25 | DY | NCAA | Penn State | 38 | 15 | 27 | 42 |
The 2005 born Cerrato has been passed over in two NHL drafts already, and is a classic late-bloomer. After a quality freshman season with Penn State, where he was one of the top scoring freshmen, its likely he hears his name being called this draft.
As an older prospect, he also fits the Oilers late bloomer strategy aiming players who are older, but further along their development path.
What Type of Player is Cerrato?
Cerrato plays the game of a two way forward. His game was highlighted by physicality, compete, and defensive senses. Pace and energy are the embodiment of his game.
Cerrato has an extremely high work rate that is exemplified in his motor, defensive pressure, has a high play engagement rate, and sheer physical force.
This allows the American forward to shine as a supporting element on his Penn State squad, and he delivers with solid decision making, ok positioning, and lane awareness.
Compete level and his puck skills shined this past season with good play reads, puck placement, and energy he proved he could be an asset in the offensive side of the game. Shows hints of rush instincts, and lane driving.
Physicality stands out too as he shows quality hit absorption, often skating through players, hit frequency, and body position establishment. He is a work-horse in physical pressure, often skating from one check to the next showing quality aggression, angling, and body leverage.
Areas of Growth
The 2005 born American lacks significant soft skill, and scoring ability.
These limitations are articulated through limited dynamic offensive instincts, o-zone playmaking, and deception. In short he’s a predictable playmaker with below average puck placement, and often doesn’t show much play anticipation beyond his next move. This offensive awareness hurts his effectiveness.
Skating also looks around average in all regards (stride, acceleration, crossover integration, and posture). This does not hurt or add anything to his transition game.
Shooting is another limitation as his mechanics, release point, and power are all quite predictable, meaning oftentimes if the goalie can see his shot, its getting stopped.
Summary
If the Oilers draft a player like Cerrato it is largely due to his defensive acumen. His compete, physicality, and defensive senses make him an intriguing prospect to take a late round flyer on as he seems to be producing and maybe over the next three seasons he unlocks more offensive upside.
The Oilers also have a history in selecting late bloomer NCAA prospects with Joel Maatta, Thomas Mazura, and recent undrafted free agent Quinn Hutson show. His game also shows stark simularities to a Maatta, with more skating upside, so his selection would not be unexpected.
Cerrato likely projects as a depth NHLer or top AHL player, but teams will certainly bet on him unlocking more in his offensive game, which could see him become a possible regular NHLer if everything goes right.
What Will the Oilers do?
Well the thing about the late rounds of the NHL draft is every team has their own list. One player that is prospect 1000 on one teams list might be prospect 5 on another organizations. It’s very unpredictable for NHL organizations.
Out of the three above, selection of Cerrato would make the most sense given their past trends.
