The Edmonton Oilers had a couple signings today! They found their NCAA goalie, Nick Ellis, after missing out on Alex Lyon and signed a 2015 draftee in Caleb Jones.
Caleb Jones
The #Oilers have signed defenceman & 2015 draft pick Caleb Jones to a three-year, entry-level contract. pic.twitter.com/1JtxslVRB0
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 7, 2016
Jones had an exceptional draft +1 season. He and Bear trending well as D prospects in system. #Oilers https://t.co/VeAquUsupc
— Alex Thomas (@AlexThomasHWP) April 7, 2016
The Oilers signed 2015 draft pick Caleb Jones to an NHL Entry Level Contract today. Caleb Jones as Alex mentioned above, had a great +1 draft year. In his first WHL year with the Portland Winterhawks, Jones scored ten goals and 55 points in 72 games played ,which was good for 11th in league scoring by a defenceman. Out of all the rookies in the WHL, Caleb Jones ranked fifth.
I admit I have not watched much WHL hockey as I usually do this season. That said, Jones has been quite impressive so far. The Cult of Hockey had Jones ranked at number 14 for the prospect rankings during the summer, while Lowetide had Jones ranked at number 13 during the winter.
Considering the fact that Caleb Jones was drafted in the fourth round, with Ethan Bear drafted 7 picks later in the 5th round, the early gains look promising. By no means is Jones competing for a roster spot on the Edmonton Oilers next season, he will take time to develop. That said, it was a good pick last year and it’s looking good right now.
Nick Ellis
Ellis was the back up to Jon Gillies (CGY). He has played just 48 games over the last 3 years. Don't expect an immediate impact. #patience
— Guy Flaming (@TPS_Guy) April 7, 2016
After looking at Alex Lyon of Yale, The Oilers were left seeking for another NCAA goalie as Lyon ended up signing with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Ellis’ Statline this season was a good one in his first season as a starter at Providence: 36 games played, 28-7-4 with a sparkling 0.936 save percentage and a 1.80 Goals Against Average.
Very nice stats. However, as Guy Fleming noted, he only played 48 games over the span of three years. He played only five games in his first season and seven games in his second. The goalie ahead of him at the time? Jon Gillies of the Calgary Flames who was considered to be one of the best NCAA goalies with Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks.
However, it’s unclear where Ellis will be playing. It’s assumed with Laurent Brossoit signed to a contract after the trade of Anders Nilsson so it’s a safe assumption that he will be with the NHL club. Eetu Laurikainen returned from Europe to play in the AHL and has seen the majority of games since Brossoit left. Ellis is probably AHL or ECHL bound but again, it’s not a bad problem to have as right now, the Oilers while having some recent draft picks at goal, do not have a real quality prospect. It’s far too soon to say that Ellis will be that prospect, granted the sample size, but it’s a nice low risk signing by the Oilers.
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