The Edmonton Oilers prospect system has some very good talent in it. Forwards like Leon Draisaitl, Bogdan Yakimov, Anton Slepyshev, Iiro Pakarinen and Greg Chase will patrol the California coast this winter, while defenders like Dillon Simpson and Jordan Oesterle join them.
That said, beyond the well known names lies a group of underrated prospects, the unsung heroes of the Edmonton system if you will. The following five players are all guys that I see as potential NHL’ers who no one seems to be talking about. They slip through the cracks because of their faults.
None of these players will emerge as superstars, but all of these guys could end up providing Edmonton with some serious depth and role players down the road. That may seem like a small thing, but it really isn’t, all the best teams develop their own role players.
Top Five Unsung Prospects:
5.) F Evan Campbell, U-Mass Lowell (NCAA) – The 6’1” and 195 pound left winger has played his last two seasons in the NCAA with UMass Lowell, showing signs of improvement every season. Last year, Campbell posted 12-15-27 in 34 games for the Riverhawks, solid numbers.
His 27 points in 2014-15 represented a 16 point jump over his 2013-14 total in one more game, signifying both improvement and a bigger role for Lowell.
Campbell has the offensive chops to be a solid contributor at the NCAA level, but that’s not all. He plays a reasonably good defensive game for his age, and he also plays a physical style compared to others in the Hockey East, mostly a skilled league.
Campbell could very well emerge as a bottom-six forward in the NHL who chips in on offense while providing a physical presence.
The 2013 5th round pick has two more seasons of eligibility at U-Lowell before he must turn pro. He’ll be a Riverhawk this coming season.
4.) F Kale Kessy, Bakersfield Condors (AHL) – The Oilers acquired Kessy via trade from the Arizona Coyotes back in the spring of 2013. The deal was one of the last moves Steve Tambellini made as GM, and it represented Tambi’s reign in one move. Edmonton traded a skilled prospect in Tobias Rieder for a physical, power-forward type prospect.
Rieder spent a large chunk of 2014-15 in the NHL with Arizona, while Kessy spent most of the season on the IR. That being said, we saw signs from the big guy last year that represented a big improvement. Most notably, Kessy was quicker last fall, showing improved footspeed.
Secondly, Kessy’s offensive numbers were showing improvement too. Now we have to factor in sample size, only 17 games, but Kessy did have six points. His three goals and three assists represented a 1.56 points per 60 mark, which was pretty solid.
Kessy is a big guy, 6’3” and 202 pounds, which fits with his playing style. Kessy is a very physical forward who is also willing to fight when called on. He’s a little more skilled than your typical enforcer, but he can fill that role if need be.
Kessy won’t be a star in the NHL, but he could be a solid fourth line player who fills the enforcer role while handling a regular shift and not being a liability on the ice.
3.) F Josh Winquist, Bakersfield Condors (AHL) – This is going to be the second season in a row where Winquist will have an AHL contract within the organization. He’s the lone player left from the handful signed last season to AHL deals, and he represents a real chance.
Winquist played in 46 games last season for the AHL’s Barons while posting decent boxcars for an undrafted rookie. His 8-11-19 in those 46 games gives Winquist a 1.98 points per 60 mark, pretty solid. In terms of ice time, according to Eric Rodgers, Winquist averaged about 12:29 per game.
It’s worth noting that his ice time and opportunity increased later in the season when a number of Barons were recalled to the NHL. All in all, it was a successful rookie season for the winger.
He’s not overly big, but he’s pretty smart and is responsible defensively. That should help him survive in pro hockey until his skill can catch up, we saw that in the AHL last year. Winquist has enough talent to maybe be a secondary scoring option for a team down the line, say in a third line role.
2.) D David Musil, Bakersfield Condors (AHL) – People noticed Musil late last season thanks to his recall, but he’s again being overlooked on the back end. He’s not the type of prospect that Darnell Nurse is or that Griffin Reinhart is, but he’s got a chance to be a player in the NHL.
Musil is a steady shut-down defender with a very high hockey IQ. He knows what to do and when to do it, there’s no denying that. His footspeed is a real issue, and it may keep him from the NHL, but he was quicker than many expected last year in the AHL. On top of that, speed didn’t exactly seem like an issue during his late season recall last year.
Musil won’t put up many points, but he could be a solid shut-down defender on the third-pairing down the line. He averaged 15:24 with the Barons per night last year, and will likely have a bigger role this season. He’s probably a year or two away.
1.) D Joey LaLeggia, Bakersfield Condors (AHL) – LaLeggia is entering his rookie pro season under the radar. Most Oiler fans know who he is, and but most quickly forgot about him after the trade for Reinhart and the performance of Nurse at rookie camp. He’s not as good as those two, or Oscar Klefbom for that matter, but he’s a very strong prospect.
LaLeggia is slightly smaller, only 5’10” and 185 pounds, but he’s quick as lightning. His puck skills are tremendous as well, as he can make passes with exceptional accuracy and speed. He’s got a dangerous shot from the point, and he’s good enough to carry the puck in like a forward and get a chance on net.
LaLeggia isn’t physical, but he’s got a smart stick, that stood out to me in my limited viewings of him while in the NCAA.
The thing about Joey is his defensive game. People are nervous because of the Justin Schultz experience, but LaLeggia’s defensive game was solid in the NCAA. He jumped into the rush, but was always back in time where it didn’t matter.
He’s sound position wise and rarely makes mistakes that lead to goals against. He’s an underrated defender, and I think people will see that right away.
He needs to get stronger, and as a result will need to spend at least one season in the AHL, but LaLeggia has the potential to be a power-play quarterback who posts high point totals and excels with this dynamic team in Edmonton.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
