As the “Just Who Is” series comes to a close on the prospect side, we come across yet another potential gem for the Edmonton Oilers. We’ve talked about the highly touted guys in Darnell Nurse and Marco Roy, and touched on the guys everyone is hopeful in with Bogdan Yakimov and Anton Slepyshev, and we’ve even touched on the picks of players like Jackson Houck, Ben Betker, Kyle Platzer, Evan Campbell and Aidan Muir.
Today, we touch on the man who might be the biggest steal of the draft, forward Gregory Chase from the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. The Sherwood Park native was the Oilers’ last draft pick, coming in at 188th overall. Normally, this would be a pick that everyone overlooks, but there is something about Greg Chase that just seems different than your average 7th rounder.
That all being said, just who is Greg Chase?
Greg Chase is a pest, that’s no doubt the best way to describe him and how he plays. He gets under the opponent’s skin and aggravates the other team with the way he plays. He’s got smart hockey sense too, so not only does he get under everyone’s skin, but he can play hockey and be smart about it.
He’s decently sized too at six feet and 195 lbs, and he has decent speed, which gives him a bit of an advantage. That combo allows him to play his pest like game and still play in a top-nine unit because of his mobility. Chase loves to go to the gritty areas and is known for embracing battles and never backing down. That’s a great quality to have, and it is one the Oilers have lacked in recent years.
There’s a lot to like here with this player. On top of what I’ve mentioned above, Chase is a tough player to knock off the puck, and plays hard all the time. He’s a pretty competitive player and brings an edge to the table.
Offensively, Chase is good enough to be considered a guy with top-nine potential when combined with his pest like style. Chase has good hands and scouts say he sees the ice really well. He’s got raw talent, but most scouts will say that Chase’s offensive potential is very intriguing, and when combined with his style it makes him look like a gem late in the draft.
Overall, the Oilers took a chance on a player that fits a need for the team, and scores enough to be considered an intriguing option. Considering draft position and his pre-draft ranking, it’s easy to see why some see this as a promising draft pick.
Oilers fans will get a look at Chase at rookie camp this week, but he’ll be going back to Calgary for the WHL season. The Oilers will let Chase develop, and hopefully three years down the road this is a prospect that fits his draft day description.
That concludes the prospect portion of the “Just Who Is” series. You can read all the other pieces here: http://www.theoilersrig.com/category/just-who-is-2/
Be sure to tune into the premiere of The Oilers Rig radio on Tuesday night! I’ll be hosting with Dave Gordon and Jeremy Thompson, and we’ll be taking calls live. It promises to be a great show, so tune in! Follow me on twitter @Alex_Thomas14 in the mean time.
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