In my last blog, I had these couple of paragraphs related to the Oilers drafting recprd:
There are 10 teams in the NHL that haven't drafted a player from 2019-2022 that has played at least 82 games: Oilers, Bruins, Flames, Islanders, Penguins, Sharks, Blues, Lightning, Leafs, and Jets.Of those teams, the Oilers and the Jets are the only two that have had all of their first round picks. The Jets have Cole Perfetti who has played 75 games and has 40 points while the Oilers have Broberg with 74 games and 11 points.
We are going back seven years to 2016, the year after the McDavid draft. The rules are simple - I want to see how many top six forwards, top four defenders, and NHL goalies each organization has drafted. I am not going to worry if that player still plays for that team, I am more focused on an organization's ability to draft legitimate players.
One more note. I have italicized any players that are getting some top six time, but I wouldn't yet call a regular top six forward/defender.
Anaheim Ducks Top Six Forwards Trevor Zegras: 187GP 49-91-140 Mason McTavish: 96GP 22-30-52 Leo Carlsson: 3GP 2-1-3 Top Four Defensemen Jamie Drysdale: 115GP 7-35-42 NHL Goalies Lukas Dostal: 26GP - 0.905SV%
The Ducks most notable draft pick over the past seven years would be Zegras, selected one pick after Philip Broberg in 2019. Other names have made an impact such as Isac Lundestrom, Maxime Comtois, Sam Steel, and Josh Mahura who have all played well over 100 NHL games but I would not call them true top six or top four players. Overall the Ducks have gotten some quality value out of their draft picks.
Arizona Coyotes Top Six Forwards Clayton Keller: 448GP 137-212-349 Barrett Hayton: 182GP 32-42-74 Matias Maccelli: 93GP 12-47-59 Logan Cooley: 6GP 0-5-5 Top Four Defensemen Jakob Chychrun: 392GP 66-116-182 J.J. Moser: 131GP 11-35-46 NHL Goalies
The Coyotes are starting to see some of the fruits of their labor with a top six group consisting of many names drafted over the past seven years such as Keller, Cooley, Maccelli, and Hayton. While no longer with the organization, Chychrun was a top four defender with the Coyotes for years and remains such with the Senators. Meanwhile, Moser is looking like an excellent option for the team, drafted in the second round in 2021.
Boston Bruins Top Six Forwards Matthew Poitras: 7GP 3-2-5 Top Four Defensemen Charlie McAvoy: 387GP 41-195-236 Ryan Lindgren: 263GP 7-56-63 NHL Goalies Jeremy Swayman 91GP 0.927SV%
The Bruins have not been strong at drafting forwards since 2016 with Poitras, drafted in 2022 currently centering their second line. They have done a better job on the blueline with McAvoy, drafted 14th overall in 2016 and Lindgren the same year 49th overall. While Lindgren never played for the Bruins, he would go on to be a top pairing player for the Rangers alongside Adam Fox. In net, the Bruins did solid work with Swayman in the 4th round of the 2017 NHL draft.
Buffalo Sabres Top Six Forwards Brandon Hagel: 219GP 69-71-140 Casey Mittelstadt: 284GP 49-96-145 Dylan Cozens: 208GP 50-75-125 Top Four Defensemen Rasmus Dahlin: 362GP 46-194-240 Mattias Samuelsson: 116GP 3-21-24 Owen Power: 94GP 6-35-41 NHL Goalies
The Sabres have been terrible for over a decade with a number of high first round picks. They do however deserve credit for other picks. Casey Mittelstadt is rounding out to be a solid forward. Brandon Hagel was drafted in the 6th round of 2016 and has enjoyed a solid career with the Hawks and now the Lightning. Mattias Samuelsson also deserves some love as he is looking like a strong shutdown defender and excellent compliment to Dahlin.
Calgary Flames Top Six Forwards Matthew Tkachuk: 516GP 192-305-497 Top Four Defensemen Adam Fox: 292GP 38-205-243 NHL Goalies
Sorry Flames fans. It has to be tough seeing the two names on this list being star players for other organizations. The Flames have not done a great job at drafting top end talent, but there are some other names to mention. Adam Ruzika, drafted in the 4th round of 2017 has seen some top six ice time and has put up 35 points over 82 games. Dillon Dube is a good complimentary piece but is more of a third line centre rather than top six player. Matthew Philips is now with the Caps and saw some time on the top line, but is currently on the fourth line and only has 9 NHL games under his belt. Dustin Wolf is a highly tooted goalie prospect but remains a prospect.
Carolina Hurricanes Top Six Forwards Martin Necas: 293GP 77-122-199 Andrei Svechnikov: 347GP 112-152-264 Seth Jarvis: 158GP 35-51-86 Top Four Defensemen NHL Goalies Pyotr Kochetkov 30GP 0.902SV%
The Hurricanes are an interesting team in their drafting. They have drafted 3 of their top six forwards in the past seven years in Necas, Jarvis, and Svechnikov but the only defenseman of any note that has played NHL games is Jake Bean who is playing third pairing minutes for the Blue Jackets. For goalies, Kochetkov is the #3 in Carolina behind an oft injured Andersen and Raanta but has been a solid option whenever the opportunity has arisen.
Chicago Blackhawks Top Six Forwards Alex DeBrincat 458GP 196-190-386 Kirby Dach: 212GP 33-66-99 Connor Bedard: 7GP 2-2-4 Top Four Defensemen Henri Jokiharju 280GP 13-57-70 NHL Goalies
DeBrincat was an excellent pick, a former teammate of McDavid's taken just a few picks after the Oilers selected Tyler Benson. Dach is a top six centre who is sadly missing the rest of the season with an injury and of course Bedard is Bedard. Jokiharju has gone on to have a solid career as a middle pairing option with the Sabres on their blueline. The Hawks have some up and coming prospects that will certainly be players to keep an eye on but in terms of current NHL talent they fall a bit short.
Colorado Avalanche Top Six Forwards Alex Newhook 166GP 30-40-70 Top Four Defensemen Cale Makar 245GP 68-187-255 Bowen Byram 98GP 16-29-45 NHL Goalies
The Avalanche may not have a plethora of top end drafted players but the ones that hit certainly have left an impact. Bowen Byram is a rising top four defender while Cale Makar is arguably the best defenseman in the league. Alex Newhook continues to improve and is getting a chance to prove his worth with the Canadiens, especially with Dach out of the lineup.
Columbus Blue Jackets Top Six Forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois 440GP 132-174-306 Emil Bemstrom 178GP 29-32-61 Alexandre Texier 130GP 22-27-49 Kirill Marchenko 66GP 21-7-28 Kent Johnson 93GP 17-28-45 Cole Sillinger 150GP 19-25-44 Adam Fantilli 7GP 2-2-4 Top Four Defensemen NHL Goalies
Admittedly I am not as familiar with the Blue Jackets situation. Let's simply say they have drafted a number of forwards that have all played some solid minutes in the top six. Have not done well at drafting defensemen or goaltenders.
Dallas Stars Top Six Forwards Jason Robertson 216GP 105-133-238 Wyatt Johnston 88GP 26-20-46 Top Four Defensemen Miro Heiskanen 360GP 45-163-208 Thomas Harley 46GP 2-7-9 NHL Goalies Jake Oettinger 143GP 0.917SV%
The Stars get full marks for their 2017 Draft where they added Heiskanen, Robertson, and Oettinger. Wyatt Johnson is a young talented player on the rise as is Thomas Harley who is averaging close to 20 minutes a game with the Stars this season.
Detroit Red Wings Top Six Forwards Lucas Raymond 164GP 42-66-108 Top Four Defensemen Filip Hronek 315GP 30-131-161 Moritz Seider 172GP 13-87-100 NHL Goalies
The Red Wings don't have much to show for their drafting during Ken Holland's time with the team. Hronek was the best player they drafted during that time who is now having a strong start in Vancouver as a top pairing defender. Other players like Cholowski, Veleno, Zadina, and Rasmussen have had fine NHL careers but more in a bottom six, bottom pairing capacity. The additions of Seider and Lucas Raymond, once Yzerman became GM have clearly helped this organization and their new core.
Edmonton Oilers Top Six Forwards Top Four Defensemen Evan Bouchard 191GP 25-72-97 NHL Goalies Stuart Skinner 68GP 0.910SV%
The team I'm sure most of you scrolled down to see first. Under both Chiarelli and Holland the Oilers have not been a strong drafting team. There are value players that have been added in McLeod, Desharnais, Broberg, and Holloway. But they have not drafted any legitimate top six forwards. Yamamoto was played in that role for a time but was inconsistent and is playing a fourth line role in Seattle. Puljujarvi was a similar case before traded to Carolina where he was also a bottom six forward or healthy scratch in their playoff run. Bouchard and Skinner are the only two real impact players that have been drafted.
Florida Panthers Top Six Forwards Owen Tippett 199GP 46-47-93 Anton Lundell 144GP 30-48-78 Top Four Defensemen NHL Goalies Spencer Knight 57GP 0.906SV%
The Panthers are another fairly mediocre team in their drafting. Anton Lundell has produced at a 0.5ppg pace and used in the top six but is now more of a third line player. Owen Tippett had a breakout season after being traded to the Flyers. Spencer Knight is a talented young goalie with potential who's career was put on hold for a bit as he was dealing with severe OCD.
LA Kings Top Six Forwards Gabriel Vilardi 155GP 41-38-79 Quinton Byfield 105GP 9-26-35 Top Four Defensemen Mikey Anderson 200GP 9-35-44 NHL Goalies
The Kings had a number of highly touted prospects for a time in Turcotte and Byfield as they were expected to be the future 1-2 punch of this franchise. Byfield is playing on the top line as a RW but I do think it is a bit of a stretch to call him a legitimate top six forward at this point. Vilardi is a strong forward and Mikey Anderson is a top pairing defender on this team so there have been some hits... just not as many as the Kings were hoping for.
Minnesota Wild Top Six Forwards Matthew Boldy 130GP 47-57-104 Top Four Defensemen NHL Goalies
If we were to go back one more year we would add Kaprizov in the 5th round and Eriksson Ek to this list but we didn't so instead the only thing the Wild have really to show for their efforts is Matthew Boldy. We will see if by the end of this year we can add Rossi to the list.
Montreal Canadiens Top Six Forwards Jesperi Kotkaniemi 327GP 56-87-143 Cole Caufield 130GP 57-36-93 Rafael Harvey-Pinard 45GP 15-8-23 Juraj Slafkovsky 46GP 4-7-11 Top Four Defensemen Mikael Sergachev 449 46-197-243 Alexander Romanov 215GP 6-35-41 NHL Goalies
The Canadiens have added a decent mix of forwards and defenders that are making an impact around the NHL. Sergachev and Romanov are strong players for the Lightning and Islanders respectively while Kotkaniemi is finally looking like a legitimate second line centre for the Hurricanes. Caufield is a brilliant young scorer who fell far too late in the 2019 Draft. The jury is still out on Slafkovsky but the team is putting him in at top six position and seeing how he fares. Rafael Harvey-Pinard is a curious option with 23 points in 45 games and being put in a skill role with skill players.
Nashville Predators Top Six Forwards Top Four Defensemen Samuel Girard 423GP 28-154-182 Dante Fabbro 259GP 13-47-60 NHL Goalies
The Predators have always been excellent at drafting defensemen and that has continued with Girard and Fabbro over the past several years. Their forward drafting has produced some players in Tolvanen, Tomasino, and Luke Evangelista but none are showing to be consistent regular top six options as of today. All eyes remain on their situation in net and when Askarov will get a real chance.
New Jersey Devils Top Six Forwards Jesper Bratt 395GP 105-181-286 Nico Hischier 387GP 111-177-288 Jack Hughes 250GP 91-133-224 Fabian Zetterlund 88GP 11-23-34 Top Four Defensemen NHL Goalies Akira Schmid 27GP 0.897SV%
The Devils have done excellent on the draft floor over these seven years. Obviously they have two big hits with two first overall picks in Hughes and Hischier but they also have Jesper Bratt from the 6th round in 2016 and Zetterlund who is getting top six time with the Sharks. While not top six players they have also brought in Dawson Mercer, Sharangovich who is now with the Flames and their backup in Schmid. Pretty sure Luke Hughes will be added to this mix with a bit more seasoning as well.
New York Islanders Top Six Forwards Top Four Defensemen Noah Dobson 244GP 32-96-128 NHL Goalies
Not a great record here for the Islanders. Dobson is a legitimate #1 defenseman but the Islanders don't have much else to show for their efforts. Oliver Wahlstrom has some talent but has yet to really break through offensively.
New York Rangers Top Six Forwards Kaapo Kakko 246GP 45-55-100 Alexis Lafreniere 223 51-44-95 Filip Chytil 334GP 64-80-144 Top Four Defensemen K'Andre Miller 221GP 21-58-79 NHL Goalies
It took some time but it's starting to look like both Kakko and Lafreniere are arriving as top six wingers... not elite mind you, but effective players. Add to that list Filip Chytil who has started the season with 6 points in 7 games after a breakout 45 point season last year. On the blueline, K'Andre Miller has become a reliable top four option for the organization.
Ottawa Senators Top Six Forwards Drake Batherson 234GP 62-100-162 Brady Tkachuk 366GP 129-152-281 Tim Stutzle 217GP 75-110-185 Ridly Greig 27GP 3-11-14 Top Four Defensemen Jake Sanderson 84GP 7-32-39 NHL Goalies
The Senators have drafted much of their core in these past seven years with their high picks. Stutzle, Tkachuk, and Sanderson will all surely have long careers with Ottawa. Batherson has shown to be an effective top six player who was selected in the 4th round in 2017 and Ridley Greig has stepped in this season in the absence of Shane Pinto and has started strong.
Philadelphia Flyers Top Six Forwards Morgan Frost 160GP 26-43-69 Joel Farabee 259GP 63-74-137 Top Four Defensemen Cam York 94GP 6-26-32 NHL Goalies Carter Hart 207GP 0.906SV%
The Flyers are a team that Oilers fans should be paying attention to because their former director of scouting Rick Pracey is now with the Oilers. Over this period the Flyers have a couple of locks in Carter Hart and Cam York as a talented young defender. In addition, they have some interesting forwards. Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee who I listed, along with Bobby Brink, and Noah Cates were all drafted in the past several years. The Flyers have gotten off to a strong start and part of that thanks should go to a third line that is currently Cates, Brink, and Farabee.
Pittsburgh Penguins Top Six Forwards Top Four Defensemen Calen Addison 87GP 5-31-36 NHL Goalies Filip Gustavsson 71GP 0.917SV%
The Penguins have spent the last decade trading picks away to remain contenders and their lack of draft talent is evidence of that. Ironically, the only two names on this list both play for the Wild.
San Jose Sharks Top Six Forwards Josh Norris 137GP 57-41-98 William Eklund 24GP 3-6-9 Top Four Defensemen Mario Ferraro 259GP 9-45-54 NHL Goalies
For a team that has struggled as the Sharks have, they do not yet have many established players to show for it. Josh Norris was traded to the Senators and as long as he is healthy is a strong second line centre and Mario Ferraro has taken on top pairing duties with the Sharks. Eklund looks like a player but hard to know for sure with a roster that bad.
Seattle Kraken Matty Beniers 98GP 27-42-69 Top Six Forwards Top Four Defensemen NHL Goalies
The Kraken have only been around for a couple seasons but they already have one established drafted player in Matty Beniers.
St Louis Blues Top Six Forwards Tage Thompson 308GP 106-95-201 Jordan Kyrou 258GP 84-114-198 Robert Thomas 320GP 61-173-234 Top Four Defensemen NHL Goalies
The Blues have drafted some very strong forwards over the past few seasons (Thompson now in Buffalo). Very little to show on the blueline though.
Tampa Bay Lightning Top Six Forwards Taylor Raddysh 159GP 32-29-61 Top Four Defensemen NHL Goalies Connor Ingram 33GP 0.904SV%
The Lightning, like the Penguins have traded many futures away and have 2 Cups because of it. While they haven't drafted any high end difference makers, they have found diamonds in the rough like Ross Colton, Brett Howden, Cal Foote, and Taylor Raddysh who is getting top six time on the Hawks.
Toronto Maple Leafs Top Six Forwards Auston Matthews 488GP 306-245-551 Top Four Defensemen Sean Durzi 142GP 14-55-69 Rasmus Sandin 165GP 13-50-63 NHL Goalies Joseph Woll 15GP 0.934SV%
Since drafting Matthews, the Leafs haven't added any other impact top six players (though Matthew Knies is looking pretty darn good right now). They did draft a couple of players who turned out to be solid defenders in Durzi and Sandin. The best player the Leafs may have drafted over this period (aside from Matthews) could be Joseph Woll who is looking like he may push for the starting job.
Vancouver Canucks Top Six Forwards Elias Pettersson 331GP 138-195-333 Top Four Defensemen Quinn Hughes 289GP 27-220-247 NHL Goalies
Vancouer has made the most of their top 10 picks in Pettersson and Hughes but also missed with Juolevi (5th overall in 2016), and Podkolzin (10th overall in 2019). Hoglander in 2019 has become a good NHL player but not a top six forward.
Vegas Golden Knights Top Six Forwards Nick Suzuki 298GP 76-139-215 Top Four Defensemen NHL Goalies
Find a team that hates draft picks more than Vegas. The only real success Vegas has had in drafting was Nick Suzuki and he never played for them. Still some NHLers in this mix in Brannstrom, Hague, Cotter, and Krebs but Vegas trades picks as quickly as they get them. Hard to argue with their results though.
Washington Capitals Top Six Forwards Top Four Defensemen Martin Fehervary 158GP 14-20-34 NHL Goalies
We have a winner for the worst drafting since 2016! Since 2016, the best player the Caps have drafted is defenseman Martin Fehervary. The runner up I guess would be Connor McMichael who has 20 points over an 81 game career thus far.
Winnipeg Jets Top Six Forwards Patrik Laine 466GP 199-182-381 Cole Perfetti 76GP 11-30-41 Top Four Defensemen Ville Heinola 35GP 1-10-11 NHL Goalies
The Jets are another team that needs a revamp in terms of bringing in young talent. Laine moved on to Columbus and remains a strong scoring forward and the young Cole Perfetti is on the rise. I like how Heinola is tracking but the kid just can't stay healthy.
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WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE OILERS
This was a fun experiment which I thought would help to see how the Oilers have done in drafting, compared to other organizations. Here are a few of my thoughts:
- The Oilers along with the Predators, Islanders, Penguins, Capitals are the only teams since 2016 that haven't drafted a player who is being utilized as a top six forward.
- Evan Bouchard and Stuart Skinner should be seen as absolute wins for the organization. Skinner in particular was a find as only Boston (Swayman), Dallas (Oettinger), Philly (Hart), Gustavsson (Wild), and Toronto (Woll) have found starters or potential starters.
- Unless Broberg establishes himself as a top four defender, 2018 will go down as a massive missed opportunity for the Oilers. Zegras, Boldy, York, Newhook, and Caufield all went shortly after Broberg.
- Out of the 32 teams I would say Edmonton has done a better job drafting than the following teams - The bolded teams have won a Cup.
Vegas Golden Knights Tampa Bay Lightning Winnipeg Jets Washington Capitals San Jose Sharks Pittsburgh Penguins New York Islanders Nashville Predators Florida Panthers
Conclusion
The Oilers have found a couple good players since 2016 but they still have not done nearly well enough in this regard and were let down by both Chiarelli and Holland in this regard. Right now this team needs help and impact players and those cupboards are looking pretty bare.
Thanks for reading!