How is the next Edmonton Oilers top 20 prospects list shaping up?
I've been tracking Edmonton Oilers prospects for decades, and writing about them for the last 25 years.
On the night of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, it was safe to say the organization's pool of prospects, at the top end, was the worst in team history.
That isn't hyperbole. A decade of trading future assets (including early-round picks) for more talent and cap room left the team's prospect list in shambles.
There simply wasn't much left. Things have changed. Seven names from the winter 2023 top 20 have been sent away as the new management team reimagines what kind of player is best suited for procurement.
What's the state of the Oilers prospect pool these months later? Better. Actually, much better.
Expect bigger, stronger, more rugged players marbled through the Oilers' talented NHL roster in the years to come. Fans can also expect elite prospects to be procured on the rare occasions they become available.
It was a good summer for acquisitions.
The new arrivals
Jeff Jackson began adding people and players to the prospect pool on a regular basis after taking over as CEO of the Oilers in August 2023. Here's a list of new additions since then, with current leagues and performance.
That's a substantial overhaul of a system in just 16 months, and the upgrade includes top talent and long shots who have something to recommend them.
Matt Savoie is the key addition to the prospect pool. Edmonton hasn't housed a prospect forward with this kind of electric skill in six years ; he has a higher pedigree and more range as a player.
Savoie may not be far away from being NHL-ready. A plug-and-play youngster who's under control and unlikely to get too expensive between now and the later part of the decade is an ideal fit for the Oilers at this time.
He's Edmonton's top prospect.
Sam O'Reilly , the team's first selection at the 2024 draft, is the first under new scouting director Rick Pracey. O'Reilly has been flat offensively year over year in the early days of the campaign.
He's playing a major role with the London Knights, though, and is regarded as a fairly complete centre prospect.
William Nicholl, also with London, leads the team's forwards in points. He appears to be a terrific "draft and follow" selection. Nicholl's true talent may have been obscured by a lack of playing time on the Knights one year ago. Teams can sometimes steal a player with an astute selection of a rarely used player in his first draft-eligible season.
Nicholl could be such a case. He was chosen in the seventh round of the 2024 draft.
Also noteworthy in this group? Albin Sundin has played eight games in the SHL, and Eemil Vinni has performed well in the early games of his 2024-25 season in Finland.
Roby Jarventie was another summer trade pickup who missed training camp due to injury. He was recently activated and impressed in early viewings with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. He's currently injured and while it's expected to be a short-term issue, his history makes all injuries a concern.
Returning prospects
The Oilers sent away a large group of prospects over the last several months.
They include Xavier Bourgault and Jack Chiasson (dealt to the Ottawa Senators in the Jarventie trade), Tyler Tullio (partial payment to the Buffalo Sabres for Savoie), Ben Gleason (traded to Philadelphia Flyers on Monday for Ronnie Attard ), Raphael Lavoie (lost via waivers), Carter Savoie (Matt's brother wasn't offered a qualifying deal) and Markus Niemalainen (now playing in Germany).
The list of returning names is sparse, and there are few prospects who can be regarded as strong candidates for an NHL future.
Beau Akey lost almost an entire season to injury, so a strong start to 2024-25 was vital. Akey has delivered for the Barrie Colts, with nine points in 11 games. Right-handed defencemen are among the most valuable players in the game, and if Akey can deliver on his draft-day promise it would lift Edmonton's defensive depth chart demonstrably.
Maxim Berezkin is delivering impact results in the KHL. He's also older for a prospect (23) who has yet to play in North America. I've mentioned it before, but he might be the best prospect in the organization.
This is an area Stan Bowman could aid the Oilers organization almost immediately. A player like Berezkin, should he sign with the team, could have the same kind of impact Savoie will have if he continues to develop.
Jayden Grubbe is also deserving of mention. He isn't a player who can be projected on to the top two lines, but could be a great fit as a No. 3 or No. 4 centre. His offence may be shy, but the solid start in 2024-25 has him trending in a good way.
The organization has a few prospects who have been in the system for some time but were outside the top 20 last winter.
The most notable: Tomas Mazura is a big centre who plays for St. Lawrence University (ECAC) and has been developed by sundial. He's 24 but is posting at greater than a point per game so has to be considered for this year's winter top 20.
Bottom line
New management has retained the rugged types (Grubbe, Max Wanner) and added some giants (most recently Attard, but there are others) and that would seem to indicate a pronounced upsurge in toughness.
The most promising players in the system are listed in the graphs above, the best of those are highlighted.
These young men will populate the top 20 for 2024 in early December.
The exact order of ranking is still to be determined. The players who could be considered for the No. 1 spot (Savoie, Akey, O'Reilly, Berezkin) have time to impact the rankings over the next 30 days.
(Photo of Sam O'Reilly: Bruce Bennett / )
