Catch 22: Edmonton Oilers First Round Preview

With the 2017 Stanley Cup Champion crowned, the focus of the hockey world will now shift toward the upcoming Entry Draft in Chicago.

The Edmonton Oilers, an annual fixture at the festivities, will be taking on a different role in this year’s edition. Their table will be closer to the back of the room than the front stage for the first time since the 2006 draft, as they are set to pick in the #22 spot. The lowest pick they have had in the last 8 drafts was when they drafted Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson 10th overall…so this more new territory for a generation of Oiler fans.

While they may not be in the top 10 this year, there is still a high possibility that the team is able to snag a valuable building block with their first-round selection. Pick #22 has yielded some high-end talent in recent times, here are some historical examples of these type of picks:

2012 – Pittsburgh Penguins – Olli Maatta

2008 – Edmonton Oilers – Jordan Eberle

2007 – Montreal Canadiens – Max Pacioretty

2006 – Philidelphia Flyers – Claude Giroux

Of course, that also isn’t saying that the Oilers will be drafting the next Claude Giroux. The revamped scouting staff has been looking very good though, with both 2015 and 2016 draft classes looking promising at the moment, and they will be trying to repeat that again this year. The narrative heading into Chicago has Edmonton targeting talented forwards, regardless of size, and they will have some options.

Predicting #22 is a lot more difficult than predicting #4 or #7, but these are the players that I believe the Edmonton Oilers should be targeting when they head up to the podium on June 22nd:

Kailer Yamamoto

Team: Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

Position: Right-Wing

Height: 5’8

Weight: 159lbs

2016/17 Stats: 65GP 42G 57A –> 99pts

Draft Rankings:

• Pike’s Picks at THW: #26
• ISS: #26
• THN: #24
• Craig Button: #16
• Bob MacKenzie (Final): #24

Scouting Report:

If you have heard anything about Kailer Yamamoto, it most certainly has to do with his size…or rather, his lack of size. Standing at 5-f00t-8 and 159lbs, he is not the type of player that will dominate the NHL with physicality. However, Yamamoto doesn’t let his small stature get in the way of his game. He is described as a crafty player with the puck who can use a deadly mixture of speed, creativity, and vision to beat his opponents. Add these qualities to a deadly shot and some superb passing skills, and you have yourself a very special player.

The one negative, aside from his size, that has been noted is that he is a high-risk player. Meaning that he often puts himself in vulnerable positions, which could have disastrous results at the NHL level.

Overall, Kailer Yamamoto has been said to have the talent of a top pick in this year’s draft, but his small size has caused him to be ranked lower than he probably should.

My Opinion:

If I am the Edmonton Oilers on draft day, Kailer Yamamoto is #1 on my list. The organization is looking for skilled forwards in this draft and at #22 he will be the very definition of that. The recent trend in NHL drafting seems to have put an emphasis on size over skill. We saw this on full display when Alex DeBrincat, who scored 101pts in his draft year, almost slid to the second-round largely due to the fact that he was 5-foot-7.

Another attractive thing about Yamamoto is that he is a skilled winger. The Oilers have a plethora of depth at the center position, yet they are very thin on the wings. Adding a skill like him to a RW group that includes Jesse Puljujarvi already has me salivating.

If he is available at #22, this should be the guy that they take.

Kole Lind

Team: Kelowna Rockets

Position: Right-Wing

Height: 6’1

Weight: 175lbs

2017/17 Stats: 70GP 30G 57A –> 87pts

Draft Rankings:

• Pike’s Picks at THW: #21
• ISS: #24
• THN: #27
• Craig Button: #54
• Bob MacKenzie (Final Ranking): #39

Scouting Report:

The one thing that scouts seem to have a consensus on when it comes to Kole Lind is his intelligence on the ice. Lind has a high hockey IQ that allows him to be successful in a wide variety of areas. His positioning on the ice is superb and this allows him to be the beneficiary of many easy goals. This isn’t the only reason that Lind put up 30 goals last year, however, as you have got to respect the shot that he has.

When it comes to the assist column, Lind can dish the puck. His aforementioned intelligence is exclusive to his positioning, but the positioning of his teammates as well. This allows for some great vision and a knack for finding passing lanes.

Away from the puck, scouts have noticed some tweaks that have to be made to his game. Although he has played a very effective physical game in the WHL, it can sometimes pull him out of position, causing him to miss coverage. This, of course, is the product of his young age and he will undoubtedly have to learn to pick his spots when it comes to physicality.

My Opinion:

Kole Lind is an exceptional player at the junior level. Although he may not be as highly ranked as other players, I believe that Lind would be a very good pick at the #22 spot.

He excels on both sides of the puck and can play a physical game, something that Peter Chiarelli and the Edmonton Oilers will love. Although he does have downfalls when it comes to picking the right moments to be physical, this is something that Lind will learn with further development. He may not be ready to step into the NHL for a few years but, if he continues to build on his most recent 87pt campaign, Lind could prove to be a valuable asset to the team in the future.

He may not be everyone’s first choice at the #22 spot but Kole Lind is my wildcard pick on who the Edmonton Oilers could draft this Friday.

Isaac Ratcliffe

Team: Guelph Storm

Position: Left-Wing

Height: 6’6

Weight: 200lbs

2017/17 Stats: 67GP 28G 26A –> 54pts

Draft Rankings:

• Pike’s Picks at THW: #25
• ISS: #22
• THN: #20
• Craig Button: #47
• Bob MacKenzie (Final Ranking): #27

Scouting Report:

Towering at 6-foot-6, Isaac Ratcliffe is a force to be reckoned with at the age of 18.

His offensive stats may not seem as impressive as the other two players listed in this article, but there is a good reason for that. Ratcliffe had the unfortunate opportunity to play for a brutal Guelph Storm who won only 21 games all year. If you dig deeper into his game you will find a player who is actually quite mobile for his size. While he won’t blow away opponents with his skating, he has shown good development thus far. Aside from his skating, Ratcliffe has been described as a power forward who possess both soft hands and the ability to create havoc in the crease. Physically, he excels, and can the game very difficult for opposing players.

The downside in his game is that he is a project player. Although he does possess plenty of skill right now, Ratcliffe will need a little more time to grow into his size. The term “project player” may imply some inherent problems in a player’s game, but that is not the case with Ratcliffe. He just needs time to improve his strength.

In the end, Ratcliffe brings lots of size to a team’s prospect pool. He may not be ready for a few years but an investment into Isaac Ratcliffe could pay off big in the long-run.

My Opinion:

The Oilers could take a flyer on a guy like Ratcliffe. The team is not in a position where they want to take the most NHL-ready forward in the draft, and Isaac Ratcliffe fits the bill as a player Peter Chiarelli would invest in.

The combination of size and skill that he possesses is very intriguing and no one is too sure what his potential could cap out at. If the team decides to go the direction of Ratcliffe, I think it would be a good move.

Another winger in the prospect pool is always good for the team at this point.

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Conclusion:

The Edmonton Oilers have plenty of options when it comes to their first-round pick in the 2017 Entry Draft. These three players will not be the only names you will hear connected to the team on Friday but, I do believe they offer the most intriguing characteristics.

If you wanted me to rank them in terms of who I covet the most out, it would look like this:

1. Kailer Yamamoto
2. Kole Lind
3. Isaac Ratcliffe

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Thanks For Reading!

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