The Edmonton Oilers young stars burning brightly in Pentiction


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Published Sep 17, 2023  •  5 minute read

BMC Matvei Petrov (#43 blue) turns up-ice after recovering a loose puck. Photo by Bruce McCurdy / Cult of Hockey

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If you believe any number of NHL prospect rankings out the last while, the Edmonton Oilers are suffering from an acute lack of prospect depth.

On one hand, that is understandable given that the Oilers are a Stanley Cup competitor who is spending assets to edge closer to that goal.

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But if the display we have been treated to in Penticton the past couple days is any indication, those rankings sell the Oilers a bit short.

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That and more in this edition of…

9 Things

9. Howie Draper has been named the first Head Coach of the PWHL’s New York franchise. Draper was coach of the University of Alberta Pandas for 26 years. My only disappointment with this league so far is the lack of a Western Canadian franchise. Hope that happens in the next couple years.

8. At some point this Fall we will learn who the next two Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame inductees are. I continue to hope that Bill Hunter makes the grade sooner rather than later. As a “builder” of the franchise, who other than Glen Sather (who is already in) was more critical to the club than “Wild” Bill? He was the club’s founder and the guy who named them the “Oilers” in the first place.

7. All reports I have seen and heard so far are that Connor Brown looks fully recovered from his ACL tear. If that is the case and given the quality of linemates he is likely to have alongside, here is my prediction for Brown in 2023-24: 18-26-44. That would be better than either Kailer Yamamoto or Jesse Puljujarvi produced in that slot during their opportunities in the Top-6. We shall see.

Edmonton Journal

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6. Once pre-season games begin, I expect many eyes to be on how the Edmonton Oilers adapt their defensive zone play this season. But if I were Jay Woodcroft I would not change much about the systems. Man-to-man is a smart way to capitalize on the well-above average speed that the Oilers have down the middle. Zone defence tends to make any club more stationary. Why would you do that to a lineup like the Oilers? I would argue that what Edmonton needs is not a better system but better execution.

5. Beau Akey is expected to spend one more year in major junior with the Barrie Colts. But the right-shot D-man sure did not look like an 18-year-old on Friday night against the Winnipeg Jets young stars. He is a terrific skater, in every aspect that I could see. He also possesses a good shot and mature instincts. As the 6’0 Akey grows into his frame, I think he has the chance to turn into a real player. Anyone who can move like that does. Arrows up. Looking like a smart selection at 56th overall. More on Oilers Rookie camp in a minute…

4. My Cult of Hockey colleague Bruce McCurdy wrote our initial piece on PTO signing Adam Erne. Erne had hopes of landing a contract this summer but when that light started to dim, he accepted the Oilers opportunity. Erne brings a solid frame and a heavy, grinding game to the table. That is not something the club has an abundance of. Erne entered the league in Tampa but spent the last few in Detroit. Hard-pressed to make the club out of camp unless there are injuries, he could be a good depth “tweener”.

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3. It is easy to be bullish on Leon Draisaitl. He is a dominant talent. But if his career high 128-point season in 2022-23 and his third 50-goal season were not impressive enough on their own, remember: Draisaitl spent much of the 2022 off-season recovering from that nasty injury sustained during the playoffs. This Summer Leon will have been able to focus almost 100% on conditioning and skills training. I cannot help but think that will be a significant advantage for him, when it comes to both speed but especially endurance.

2. I keep hearing and reading people predict that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is headed for a regression in 2023-24 from his 104-point season. Boy, I don’t know about that. The Nuge will still be playing on a line with either Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid every night. And Ryan will still be a mainstay on that 1st Unit Power Play. He is 100% healthy and not yet at the age that you would expect him to lose a step. How many fewer opportunities to register points is he likely to have this season than last?

1.Rookie Camp continued Saturday with the second of three Young Stars games in Penticton. It was a “Battle of Alberta”, with the Flames versus the Oilers in a matchup that in this tourney could easily have been in name only. So many of these kids are brand new to their franchises. How could they possibly summon up the competitive hate that best illustrates the long-time rivalry between the franchises. Yes, the prospects delivered a spirited, aggressive, back-and-forth display that was only settled in overtime. Unfortunately for the Oilers, it was a Calgary power play goal in overtime that settled the 4-3 decision.

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The Oilers rookies converted on 3 of their 7 opportunities on the man advantage. The goal scorers were Brady Stonehouse, Carl Berglund and Matvey Petrov, the latter arguably Edmonton’s best player on the night. Petrov’s goal was a bar-down one-timer and he also earned a lovely assist on the Berglund marker, showing excellent awareness and vision of the zone. Petrov has had an eye-opening tourney so far, as he prepares for his first year of pro hockey.

2021 First Round pick Xavier Bourgault had an assist, as his quickness and hands were vividly on display. Carter Savoie was noticeable and was in on numerous chances, showing off his offensive creativity. And D-man Beau Akey, who I mentioned earlier in this article, also continued to impress with both his edge work and (last night) his defensive awareness in a couple key situations.

A fair bit has been written about the organization’s prospect depth being near the bottom of the NHL right now. But the showing over the first two games of the weekend suggests there is more there than you’ve been led to believe. Yes, these are young and not-yet pro’s against comparable competition.

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But with the parent club stacked and deep, these kids have lots of time to mature and matriculate at both the minor-pro and major junior levels over the next year.

The Oilers finish up the Young Stars tournament Monday against the young Canucks.

Now on Threads @kleavins. Also, find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at [email protected]

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