Lowetide: Why the Edmonton Oilers need to target college, junior free agents

The Edmonton Oilers have a prospect pipeline problem and it’s getting worse every day.

In the two most recent drafts, the team used just seven of 14 draft picks, and traded the only first-round pick chosen (Reid Schaefer) to the Nashville Predators in the Mattias Ekholm deal.

The idea of trading picks and prospects to load up the current roster in search of the Stanley Cup is sound thinking.

There are ways to improve the pipeline, though. Edmonton under Ken Holland has used some of those tools, but not enough to make a dent in the ever-increasing gap between the Oilers and other teams.

It’s wise to improve the NHL roster, but other teams are also signing college, junior and European free agents. What is the organization doing to fill the gaps left by halving the draft haul? Not enough.

Trades

Since arriving as general manager in 2019, Holland has made deals to improve prospect depth.

He has dealt down at the draft table for additional picks a couple of times. He dealt prospect Dmitri Samorukov for not-yet-established forward Klim Kostin and sent away a depth pick for Jayden Grubbe last summer. Grubbe is playing well for the Bakersfield Condors and could have an NHL career ahead of him.

The Oilers can make trades to improve the pool of talent pushing, but haven’t made enough of them in the Holland era.

John Marino is the best NHL player on this list (so far) and Jesper Wallstedt is a famous draft pick due to the Oilers’ woes in goal and his availability for Edmonton at the 2021 draft.

It’s always best to wait five years after a draft to evaluate. Plenty can happen in that time and young prospects don’t develop in a straight line.

For Holland, the trade route should be an attractive option and there are candidates.

The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted a small, fast winger with a great release at the 2020 draft. Veeti Miettinen has lacked consistency during his time with St. Cloud State (NCHC) but has 11 goals in 19 games this season. Toronto is an astute drafting team, and it’s possible Miettinen signs after his senior season. It’s a situation worth monitoring and the Oilers might be wise to make a deal before the player reaches free agency. Acquiring Miettinen as he’s about to turn pro would be a similar move to Holland’s Grubbe gambit, although the Toronto prospect is older (22). Signing Miettinen as a free agent would be the ideal route.

Tyler Boucher was chosen in the top 10 by the Ottawa Senators in 2021. Since then, he has meandered from college to junior hockey and had a difficult time staying healthy. He plays a rugged game and the Senators are under new management so may be eager to trade out the old and bring in the new. He has played pro hockey, so would fall under the Kostin definition of a prospect acquisition. Edmonton once again has a surplus of young defencemen and this year there are multiple prospect forwards who could be in play.

College and junior free agents

More than any other previous Edmonton manager, Holland has deployed the AHL contract and then signed players to NHL deals after auditions in Bakersfield. Two of those players have made it to the NHL and are currently contributing.

Vincent Desharnais was drafted by the Oilers in 2016 but was not signed to an NHL deal after his senior season in college. Desharnais’ first pro season saw him play most of his games for the ECHL Wichita Thunder before climbing his way to the AHL and finally Edmonton.

Desharnais joins Charlie Huddy and John Blum as Oilers players who played in Wichita before climbing the organization’s depth chart to the NHL.

James Hamblin was a graduating junior who signed an AHL deal and climbed to the NHL.

Holland and the Oilers have been unlucky with some of the signings.

Noah Philp delivered a strong season and would have been in line for NHL work in 2023-24, but he retired after one pro season.

Ryan Fanti came out of college as a highly regarded goaltending prospect but injuries have had an impact. The Oilers will want to see him play often when he returns from injury later in the year.

The three 2023 signings are just getting started, with Noel Hoefenmayer playing well and emerging as a recall option with the Condors.

Internal options

The Condors have several AHL contracts worth discussing as potential NHL signings during the next several months.

Chief among them is 25-year-old winger Cameron Wright. In 18 AHL games this season, he has scored six times and has 11 points. He’s physical, wins battles and owns an even-strength goal share (10-8, 55 percent) that leads the way among AHL-only contracts.

Wright is playing a lot (based on the number of total goals while he’s on the ice) and is helping his team outscore the opposition.

The issue for Edmonton is the number of prospect wingers in the system (Raphael Lavoie, Xavier Bourgault, Carter Savoie, Tyler Tullio, Matvey Petrov) and Wright’s advanced age for an NHL prospect.

External options

The Oilers need plug-and-play skill players.

The college ranks have older prospects who can compete right away for NHL jobs. Philp was an example of it before retirement, and current Condors winger Drake Caggiula made the grade after signing with Edmonton out of North Dakota in 2016.

Riese Gaber is a winger for North Dakota who is having success and could help an NHL team in the future. He is a senior, undersized with a quick release and 58 goals in 128 NCAA games (Caggiula had 62 goals in 162 games during his career in college). Gaber is from Manitoba and the Oilers have traditionally done well when targeting Canadians in the NCAA.

The Oilers could go the “Hamblin” route and sign a CHL free agent in the summer. A player from Edmonton’s backyard (Prince George Cougars) is undersized left-handed defenceman Hudson Thornton. He’s a transition dream with the puck and is having his second impact season in a row.

Bottom line

Edmonton’s management is laser-focused on winning the Stanley Cup and that’s the right play.

Some of the team’s scouting resources should be devoted to improving the talent pool bubbling under.

College signing season is just around the corner, and signing a CHL overager over the spring and summer can help the team’s depth.

The organization has already shown an ability to identify and attract talent. Desharnais and Hamblin are in the NHL, Philp was a strong candidate before retirement and Wright has played very well in Bakersfield.

This is an important area for the organization. Edmonton is losing ground due to the trades of picks and prospects.

There are alternatives to the current inertia. It’s time to get going.

(Photo of James Hamblin: Perry Nelson / USA Today)

Originally Appeared Here