It’s looking more and more like the Edmonton Oilers will focus on the forward position in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
“We have a lot of young defencemen in the system,” said Oilers assistant GM Keith Gretzky on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer. “Our staff has done a really good job at picking up some mid-round guys that have panned out and that gives us some depth on the back end.”
“Having said that, it’s not a secret that we would like to add forwards. But whatever it’s worth. You always want to take the best player available,” said Gretzky.
Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Ziyat Paigin, and Ryan Mantha are all promising young defensive prospects that the Oilers already have in their system. At forward, the Oilers don’t have a lot percolating after Tyler Benson, who the Oilers selected in the second round in 2016.
“We would like to add forwards with speed and skill, and the most important thing is compete level,” added Gretzky. “If you have that then it’s going to be hard to pass on. Hopefully it’s a forward at 22, but if a guy is there that the whole staff likes and he happens to be a defencemen then that’s what we will go with.”
This is the first year since 2008 that the Oilers will pick outside of the top 10. They did select Oscar Klefbom 19th overall in 2011, but that was not with their own pick. They selected Ryan Nugent-Hopkins first overall that year.
In 2008 they also picked 22nd overall and went with a skilled winger in Jordan Eberle. Bob Stauffer anticipates the Oilers going a similar route this year.
“There are 15 different forwards that could potential be in the mix,” said Stauffer. “Someone mentioned Kole Lind from Kelowna. He’s a RW. Kailer Yamamoto from Spokane, he’s skilled but I’m not sure if he will be there. There’s Kristian Vesalainen who is represented by Gerry Johannson out of Edmonton. He’s a Finnish kid that had a really tough offensive campaign but he has some tools. There’s Nick Suzuki with the Owen Sound Attack. Robert Thomas plays for London. There are a bunch of different guys that have different aspects to their game.”
“The bottom line is this, if you factor in Bear and Jones, who the Oilers got in the 2015 draft. The signing of Ryan Mantha, and Ziyat Paigan, that’s four defenceman that are going to be rookies playing in the AHL this year. The Oilers might hit on one or two of those guys but they don’t have a lot on the wings.”
In the 2016 draft the Oilers had three third-round picks. They selected three defencemen. This year the Oilers also have two third-round picks, so don’t be surprised if they go with two forwards there.
Another option could be to package picks to move up into round two. The Oilers currently don’t have a second-round pick due to compensation for the signing of GM Peter Chiarelli.
“If we feel a guy we all like as a staff is there and we have to go get him, then I know we’re not shy to give that opinion to go get him,” noted Gretzky.
The Oilers have two third-round picks, and two fifth-round picks that they could use to potentially move up into the second round. The 2017 NHL Entry Draft goes June 23-24 in Chicago.
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