The 2026 NHL Draft was relatively tame for the Edmonton Oilers. Going into the weekend with just four picks, any major impact they were hoping to make on their roster was going to come from a trade. Possibly the rumoured Darnell Nurse trade that some insiders were suggesting could happen around the draft. That did not happen. The Oilers stood pat, as it sounds like other teams were waiting for other defender dominoes to fall before making a commitment to Nurse.
As a result, the only trade the Oilers made was to drop down six picks in the second round in exchange for an extra fifth-round pick. Giving the team five total picks. The additional draft capital was welcome by Director of Amateur Scouting Rick Pracey. The team noticed a large gap between their picks in the third and sixth round and were wanting to fill that gap a little bit. Pracey notes that this was “pure strategy” by the team. If the Oilers were looking at the same type of player at 52 that they were going to be able to get at 58, they might as well trade down and gain an extra pick.
Recapping the 2026 NHL Draft for the Edmonton Oilers
| Pick | Player |
|---|---|
| Second Round (#58) | Rudolfs Berzkalns, C |
| Third Round (#84) | Malcom Gastrin, F |
| Fifth Round (#133) | Andrew Robinson, D |
| Sixth Round (#180) | Caden Harvey, C |
| Seventh Round (#212) | Ryan Cameron, G |
The Oilers made five selections in this draft. They took three forwards, in Rudolfs Berzkalns, Malcom Gastrin, and Caden Harvey. One defender, Andrew Robinson. And one goaltender in Ryan Cameron.
Rudolfs Berzkalns, C, Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL
One thing stood out to Pracey when talking about Berzkalns. Size. Already 6’4″ and over 200 pounds at 18 years old, Berzkalns will bring much-needed size down the middle for the organization. Pracey and the Oilers had that as a major priority heading into this draft.
He is noted to be a bit raw of a prospect, though he underwent significant growth over this past season that the Oilers believe in. Pracey made sure to note that he thinks there is some underlying offensive potential there that the player can hopefully find and develop in the coming years.
Berzkalns appears set to play one more season in junior hockey with the Lumberjacks before going the collegiate route to the NCAA, by which time the organization hopes and believes he will develop the offensive side of his game.
Malcom Gastrin, LW, MoDo Jr., Sweden
When talking about Malcom Gastrin, Pracey is quick to mention his ability. Gastrin is described as a talented forward with great vision. Enough skill to find himself promoted through the ranks of Swedish junior hockey, spending time at the U18 level, U20 level, and even getting a few games at the pro level with MoDo in Hockey Allsvenskan.
Oilers scouts identified Gastrin as having some size, plenty of skill, and endless compete. All traits that Edmonton is heavily targeting in recent years. Pracey was open that despite Gastin requiring plenty of development, both on the ice and physically, they see top-nine upside in him and think he could fill out his frame in the coming years to help enhance his physicality and compete.
Andrew Robinson, D, Windsor Spitfires, OHL
The Oilers were extremely glad they acquired an extra pick in the fifth round so that they could draft a defender that they clearly targeted. Andrew Robinson is someone that Pracey seems excited about as a two-way defender with skating ability. With limited draft capital, Pracey and his team are hellbent on finding hidden value in prospects and who they draft. They think Robinson is someone with that potential.
The importance of skating in modern-day NHL defenders is not lost on this amateur scouting group, as they see a player like Robinson whose best assets are his skating and transitional play and jump on the opportunity to try to develop the rest of his game around that. Pracey identified the fact that Robinson started in a seven-man defensive rotation in Windsor to start the year but, by the second half of the season, slowly increased his ice time and role to a point where he was playing top-four and getting opportunities on special teams.
This was still just his rookie season in the OHL, as well, showing that this is a player on the upswing with plenty of growth potential. Pracey believes in this selection and feels truly lucky that they got him, especially after the monster playoff run that he had with Windsor. Robinson, according to Pracey, will play another year in Windsor before heading to the NCAA to play with Providence.
Caden Harvey, C, Windsor Spitfires, OHL
Back-to-back Spitfires in this year’s draft gives the Oilers a unique opportunity to develop these two players alongside one another for the next season. And Caden Harvey is another OHL rookie that the Oilers believe will be given much more opportunity this coming season to develop his game in a bigger role, as he is currently stuck behind a fairly stacked Windsor team.
Pracey notes the appeal of Harvey’s game is his quickness. He is quick on his feet, he is a quick thinker, he processes the game quickly. These are all traits that indicate a player that might succeed as he rises up the ranks, as speed in all of these areas is something that often holds players back when trying to transition to the next level.
Harvey is a player that was ranked much higher by some scouting reports than his eventual draft position in the sixth round. Pracey believes they have a third- or fourth-round talent from this pick.
Ryan Cameron, G, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, USHL
It wouldn’t be a truly completed draft without taking at least one goalie to throw at the goalie development voodoo magic wall. Ryan Cameron is that guy this season.
Another project player with a long development runway, Pracey believes that there is room for growth, both physically and ability-wise, for Cameron. The foundation is there, with good quickness, good pushes, solid movement in the crease. The Oilers identify him as someone who should develop well in the pathway he is in.
Cameron, currently in the USHL, is poised to play one more season there with Sioux Falls before heading off to Boston College.
Sense, skill, compete
With a limited draft capital, the Oilers have to make the most of what picks they do have. And the scouting staff have a clear mandate, based on the players they have selected in recent seasons. The players must display sense, skill, and compete. Seems pretty basic, but if we go down the list of picks, especially in forwards, that the Oilers have drafted recently, there is a common theme.
Pracey notes the importance of sticking to this so that the organization can get ahead of the lack of draft capital they possess. He understands the importance of finding hidden value in players. Those with longer developmental runways or those who may have the talent and ability, but are blocked in their current teams or are just starting to hit their upswing. We may be seeing the results of this with players like William Nicholl, Connor Clattenburg, Tommy Lafreniere, and David Lewandowski working their way up through the Oilers’ prospect pipeline.
Pracey, when asked about what stood out to them about third-round pick Gastrin, was impressed by the effort level, particularly in second efforts while retrieving pucks. Behvaviours like these are what will make a different when developing with the Oilers in this era. The heart is something that is harder to teach than certain on-ice skills, and if a player has the heart and compete level, they can build a player around that.
What is coming up next for these draftees?
It is a very quick turnaround for these players as they are set to be in Edmonton shortly to begin their development with the Oilers. This will be the first look of these players in the Oilers’ system and a major development opportunity for them and the team as they set up each player’s development file, learn about each other, and get some face-to-face time with the team’s staff.
We can expect to get some notes and updates through the summer with rookie and development camps, getting our first looks at these players in Oilers uniforms as they try to work towards accomplishing their career goals of making the NHL and (hopefully) winning the Stanley Cup. Ideally, wearing the Oilers sweater.
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