We are going through the list that I consider to be the Oilers’ top 10 most important prospects. This is not strictly a list of the most skilled young or unestablished players in the organization. In the first instalment I explained my thought process and I’ll be including that paragraph in each one of these posts just so I don’t have to figure out 10 different ways of saying the same thing.
I plan on going over the top 10 most important prospects in the Oilers’ organization. This is a little different (though not by much) than going through what I consider are the 10 best prospects in the organization. The key difference is that their ranking is determined both by their potential as well as how much the NHL club needs them to succeed. For example, I believe Iiro Pakarinen is a better prospect than several players on this list but as another winger in an organization flush with them I don’t have him in my top 10 most important prospects.
I think from this point forward we are going to be discussing players who will be given every opportunity to succeed in the Oiler organization. Not that the previous two are going to be held back, but the others by my estimation will be given the opportunities first. They are the more skilled, more well-rounded group of prospects in the system. On the edge of the next tier of prospects is number 8 on our list of top 10 most important Oiler prospects, Greg Chase.
10
Jujhar Khaira
9
Kyle Platzer
8
Greg Chase was selected in the 7th round, 188th Overall, in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and immediately he looked like he was going to outperform his Draft number. He clearly had/has a chip on his shoulder and a drive to prove his doubters wrong. His offense at the time of the Draft was decent, 49 points in 69 games is not too bad for a player taken that late in the Draft. He also had decent size and good speed. Chase also comes from a hockey family. His father was heavily involved in the Sherwood Park Crusaders, serving as the club President, and his uncle Kelly Chase spent 10 seasons in the NHL racking up 2017 penalty minutes in just 458 games.
While Chase isn’t necessarily a bruiser on the ice, he is definitely a pest. He has garnered a reputation as one of the players teams dislike playing against the most. In combination with surprisingly good hands this makes him exactly the kind of player the Oilers are missing. The Oilers have talent in spades but outside of Hall a lot of them are choir boys. Eberle was in contention for the Lady Byng one year, RNH looks like someone who could be camp counselor or at least a certified babysitter, and Nail Yakupov is learning how to use his physicality on the forecheck but he looks like one of the sweetest kids in Edmonton. Greg Chase is not that guy. Greg Chase is the kind of guy who will
score in the shootout and blow kisses to the opposition bench.
Here are his numbers dating back to the 2010-2011 season.
2010-11 Calgary WHL 5GP, 0G-0A-0P, 6 PIMs
2011-12 Calgary WHL 60GP, 6G-22A-28P, 41 PIMs
2012-13 Calgary WHL 69GP, 17G-32A-49P, 58 PIMs
2013-14 Calgary WHL 70GP, 35G-50A-85P, 83 PIMs
2013-14 Oklahoma AHL 5GP, 1G-0A-1P, 4 PIMs
2014-15 Calgary WHL 15GP, 2G-13A-15P, 20 PIMs
2014-15 Victoria WHL 46GP, 18G-26A-44P, 39 PIMs
Chase exploded offensively in the year after his Draft, jumping from 49 to 85 points. His play was so highly regarded that he put himself in the conversation to be on Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. Unfortunately he followed up that successful campaign with a step backwards.
The word out of Calgary was that the Hitmen were continuing to play Chase on the 3rd line despite all of his offensive success the year before. This isn’t the first time Calgary has been known to rub their veteran players the wrong way but the relationship between Chase and his club eroded completely. The situation clearly required moving the player and that’s exactly what happened. The Hitmen shipped Chase away to the Victoria Royals. The new club did not result in a spike to his productivity and he finished the year with a combined 59 points in 61 games.
Chase has enough skill and determination to push his way past that disappointing season and if he can then he might be a diamond in the rough for the Oilers. Assuming he can add a reasonable amount of offense in the AHL while also still being the kind of player that other teams hate then he will have differentiated himself from everyone in the organization. Edmonton does not have someone like who gets right under the skin of the opposition and stays there until they make mistakes.
It’s his playing style and his intriguing (bordering on enigmatic) offensive ability that make Greg Chase the 8th most important Oiler prospect. He simply plays with an attitude that is unlike his peers. He makes people hate him and I have lots of time for those kinds of players on my team. He has focused on
cutting down the number of penalties he takes while maintaining that same edge to his game. The result should be more penalties drawn than taken and being able to consistently do that will help your club in the long run. Chase’s game looks like it can translate to the professional level. He’s got the family bloodlines, a history of offensive contribution, and an on-ice attitude that makes him stand out. Let’s see how he transitions to the AHL.
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