2015-16 is it, this is Tyler Pitlick’s last call with the Edmonton Oilers. If he can’t seal the deal now, he’ll be looking for a new home come July of 2016. Pitlick, the 31st selection in the 2010 NHL draft, has done nothing but show signs since turning pro in the fall of 2011.
He’s never consistently been able to produce at the professional level for a variety of reasons. Whether it was him adapting to the professional ranks or injuries, he just couldn’t do it.
Pitlick has missed a ton of time with injuries over the years, and they’ve all come at the worst times. Just when it seems like he’s turning a corner, he suffers a massive injury. It happened in October of 2013, and it happened again in December of 2014. He can’t catch a break.
The Scouting Report:
The Hockey News is an excellent resource for scouting reports on NHL’ers. I’ve turned to them to give us the strengths of Tyler Pitlick’s game, as well as the faults of it.
| Assets: | With projectable size and good offensive instincts, he could become a decent scorer in the National Hockey League. He also adds positional versatility to his resume, which always helps. |
| Flaws: | Needs to get physically stronger in order to maximize his offensive upside at the highest level. Also could use more work in terms of defensive-zone coverage and his overall play without the puck. |
| Career Potential: | Versatile depth forward with some upside. |
The Offense:
Tyler Pitlick’s offense just hasn’t consistently made the transition to professional hockey. He’s shown signs, but whenever he does he ends up getting hurt, which ends up bringing us back to square one. It’s tough to jump back on the horse once you get hurt.
Pitlick scored just two points in 17 NHL games this year, both goals. That said, he had a massive injury in between those 17 NHL games that certainly impacted his stride.
In the AHL last year, Pitlick went 3-6-9 in 14 games, a very solid mark. His points per 60 mark was 2.27, representing the best season of his career to this point. That said, sample size was a real thing here, it was only 14 games.
All in all, the offense for Pitlick might be clicking in the AHL, because in 2013-14 he posted 8-14-22 in 39 games. Not star player numbers, but solid totals that suggest there is a player in there somewhere, and by player I mean NHL’er.
He’ll need to show some of that in training camp this year, and in the NHL if he gets a chance. He’s scored 3-0-3 in 27 NHL contests so far in his career.
Overall Style:
Pitlick has the offensive tools, no doubt about it. He’s got a powerful shot and a decent ability to distribute the puck, we’ve seen that over the last handful of years. Only thing is, he’s never been able to consistently put it together.
Pitlick does have two big things going for him, he is a fast player and he’s a phyiscal player. Those two traits, combined with those offensive tools, will get him looks if Edmonton moves on from him.
His defensive game isn’t bad, but it certainly is a work in progress, just like many other young players.
What Kind Of Role Will He Fill?:
Pitlick is, at this point, just a candidate to fill a checking role. I could easily see him taking the fourth line right wing spot this season and running with it long-term. He’s got the speed, physical ability and skill to be a real solid fourth liner.
Remember, Edmonton isn’t using the wagon line anymore, slow and defensive isn’t the style Todd McLellan wants to play. He’ll likely want a quicker version of Rob Klinkhammer out there to play with Mark Letestu and Matt Hendricks. Tyler Pitlick is that player.
What Happens This Fall:
He’ll get into a training camp battle with the above mentioned Klinkhammer for that final right wing spot, which should be interesting. Regardless, I expect Pitlick to make the team as the 13th or 14th forward. He should beat out Luke Gazdic and has a chance to beat out Klinkhammer.
If he doesn’t? Then it’s off to the AHL for, at most, one last season in the Oiler organization. He’d better start looking for other opportunity if that’s the case.
This training camp, and by extension this season, represents the final chance for Tyler Pitlick to make it as an Edmonton Oiler.
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