While we all hope the future holds brighter days, we find ourselves looking ahead after yet another failed season in Oil Country. We know the holes the organization has, but with the current bumper crop of prospects on the horizon, it looks like better days will come at last.
Yes I know we’ve all heard that before, but instead of looking forward to the next first overall forward’s potential, the Oil Country faithful can wait patiently for the big centre, stud d-man and potential starting goalie in 2023. Awe the joys.
The hockey nerd in me comes out with every The Hockey News special issue, and I have two big time favourites. One is the draft preview (not just because i’m an Oiler fan) and of course the future watch. Well, it hit the stands and on my road trip today I picked that fine piece of hockey literature at a gas station in Fox Creek.
The first thing I did was to check out the top 50 overall prospects to see where my future Oilers ranked among the league’s up and comers, and then I flip to the Oiler’s page to see what I thought. Robert Tychowski rounded out the Oilers top prospects after the scouts tallied up their votes.
THE TOP 50
The Oilers had two of their prospects make the list, and both made the top ten. You already know who they are. It actually looks like I know a thing or two that every scout that participated in the ranking system knows; Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse are the top two Oilers prospects.
Leon Draisaitl ranked three while Nurse ranked at seven. Buffalo’s Sam Reinhart and Calgary’s Sam Bennett slotted in at one and two ensuring that everyone was that close in the 2014 draft. The real kicker however is that Darnell Nurse is the top ranked defenseman on the list and that is something to get very excited about.
While those are all good arrows, an article by Ryan Kennedy is highly critical of the Oiler’s handling of Leon Draisaitl and rightfully so. The byline of the article reads “Draisaitl’s season may have been filled with questionable moves by the Oilers, but at least they got the last two right.”
Sum that up: Draisaitl should’ve been sent down before his 10th NHL game, Draisaitl should have not been counted on to play 2nd line minutes, he should’ve gotten the opportunity to represent Germany at the World Juniors…However, he was sent down before his UFA eligibility could’ve been jumpstarted, and he is know playing with the Kelowna Rockets, a team likely to compete for the Memorial Cup.
THE REST OF THE OILER’S TOP TEN
In my Potratz Prospects you got to see my top five Oilers prospects, and now I finally have a comparable. My list goes like this; Draisaitl check. Nurse check. Brossoit check. Yakimov check. Platzer…..What?
Well I can take comfort knowing I got the top five right, but Platzer isn’t even on Tychowski’s top 10….Hmmmm….You can’t win them all.
THN’S TOP TEN OILERS
1. C Leon Draisaitl “…Draisaitl is big and strong and thinks the game well…”
2. D Darnell Nurse “…he’s a hump of clay that any organization would love and chance to mould…”
3. G Laurent Brossoit “…what he needs most right now is experience…”
4. C Bogdan Yakimov “…Yakimov is the huge centre with skill the Oilers have been longing for…”
5. C Jujhar Khaira “…He drives hard to the net and like to use his size and strength…”
6. D Martin Marincin “…Needs consistency and intensity…”
7. LW Anton Slepyshev “…KHL moves don’t always translate well in the NHL…”
8. LW Mitchell Moroz “…Adjusting slowly to the pro game…”
9. C Greg Chase “…Turbulent start for him with Hitmen before being dealt to Victoria…”
10. D William Lagesson “…Strong, physical defenseman who likes to be in charge…”
We all know who the big names are, but it’s the guys from 5-10 and beyond that need to start becoming players or else the organization will have yet another hill to climb.
To see how my list compares, be prepared for my second Potratz Prospects article. Until then, chow!
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