Prospect Info: Oilers Rookie at the Penticton Young Stars Classic

[belair]

1 goal in 3 games? I know our prospect pool is thin but woof that's bad

No Akey hurt us a lot. Couldn't move the puck out cleanly.

We could use a Lane Hutson-type or two on the farm, even if the NHL upside is non-existent.

 

[Reasonable Oil Fan]

I dont worry too much about results in this tournament. What matters here is progression and this tournament simply sets a benchmark

 

[Shathar]

lol
My brain almost imploded in an infinite loop when I read the underlined.

 

[Broberg Speed]

I

Maybe just maybe we don't have very good prospects

In a philosophical light, how important does this make "the few good prospects we do have" to the organization when the team is entering a long period of intense cap scarcity when the Draisaitl contract kicks in?

Draisaitl is getting paid 8.5M this year and two prospects that panned out were poached off the team and the Oilers were forced to accept substandard compensation. They weren't cheap post entry level options after their first contracts expired.

Hopefully McDavid and Bouchard extensions are to come but the cap picture isn't ideal when those contracts presumably get signed.

This is vitally important, get a meticulous reading on the exact value of our prospects and not fanboy over them. If they can't skate, if they can't compete at a high level, move on from them.

Over the last 3 games we witnessed a team of players we should have moved on from if the opportunity arose to get an actual player when those prospects still had some value... or never drafted them in the first place.

 

[Heavy Dee]

View attachment 907360

lol
My brain almost imploded in an infinite loop when I read the underlined.

Interesting comment

 

[McDNicks17]

Is Colin Chaulk a systems guy? Or is this a really poor coaching decision for a part of our organization that is going to have to churn out quite a few plug-and-play options for the bottom half of our NHL roster in the coming seasons?

I just haven't been impressed with the decisions he makes in regards to putting our prospects in positions to produce.

He's been really good developing the defensive side of the prospects. Guys like Lavoie and Petrov took massive strides defensively under him. I'd credit him for turning Holloway from a guy who skates around really fast to someone who actually impacts the game too.

Hard to say if he isn't developing prospects offensively or if they just don't have the talent to get there.

 

[belair]

He's been really good developing the defensive side of the prospects. Guys like Lavoie and Petrov took massive strides defensively under him. I'd credit him for turning Holloway from a guy who skates around really fast to someone who actually impacts the game too.

Hard to say if he isn't developing prospects offensively or if they just don't have the talent to get there.

Well that's good. Because a lot of opportunities on the NHL roster moving forward are going to require these guys to play a game that is ultimately 12 minutes of quiet, uneventful hockey.

You hope that there are a handful of guys that can put up 20 goals on their own here or there, but gone are the days where our farm team is a freewheeling offensive force.

I suppose his reliance on his veterans for much of last year was a tad concerning.

 

[VainGretzky]

Hope Katz realizes the time to hire a dozen more amateur scouts to watch in Europe Ncaa, Ushl, and other leagues to find some overlooked gems because the status quo is not cutting it. I also could care less if the Condors finish last in the league as long as the youngsters get tons of Ice Time to develop their games , Also Edmonton and area is more than big enough to bring back the Edmonton Roadrunners AHL team

 

[DavidHasselhoffsFist]

We used to dominate the tournament because we had a litany of high end prospects who eventually went to the NHL and dominated/fit in.

Let me make it clear, I don't care at all if we're winning or losing games in the tournament. I'm watching the players play the sport on the ice, and not a single one of them in either game has had a shift of dominance where you'd think they should be playing above the level they're at (college/minor league/junior).

For a lot of these guys they're in their third/fourth prospect camps and should be dominating at this point if they actually have a shot of making the league as a regular player. It isn't happening. And I'll reiterate that for someone like O'Reilly, this being his first camp and a late first rounder, of course we give him some leeway.

Past him, none of the players on our tournament roster have a chance at making the league. The two guys who stood out last year (and no-one else) were Broberg and Holloway. Both of them were miles ahead of the competition and ended up playing meaningful playoff games for us in the SCF.

Nobody even comes close to sniffing their jockstraps in our prospect pool at the moment past POTENTIALLY O'Reilly, Rodrigue, and Akey.

Petrov will never play, Savoie will never play, Lavoie will never play, etc etc. These guys fit right in with the Bourgaults, Maksimovs, Safins, Bensons, Yakimovs, Zharkovs, Morozs, Gernats, Musils, Abneys, etc. Tweeners who realistically had no shot.

I apologize if someone has pointed this out already or if I misunderstood what you were trying to convey but unless I’m wrong I don’t believe either Holloway or Broberg competed at the 2023 tournament as they had already lost their rookie status and Beau Akey certainly stood out at last year’s tournament.

This was last years roster

https://media.d3.nhle.com/image/private/t_document/prd/vpitmevgrqhchefvmwcn.pdf

 

[McDNicks17]

Well that's good. Because a lot of opportunities in the NHL roster moving forward are going to require these guys to play a game that is ultimately 12 minutes of quiet, uneventful hockey.

You hope that there are a handful of guys that can put up 20 goals on their own here or there, but gone are the days where our farm team is a freewheeling offensive force.

I suppose his reliance on his veterans for much of last year was a tad concerning.

That always gets overblown, IMO.

He relied on vets, but mainly to mentor the young guys. Like you'd often see Caggiula and Pederson get top line minutes, but they'd have Lavoie, Tullio or Bourgault up with them. McKegg saw a bunch of time at #2C, but that was usually with two of Lavoie, Bourgault, Tullio, Savoie, etc. He leaned on Dineen a bunch, but Wanner was always there with Dineen.

Petrov was really the only guy that didn't get much opportunity, but Chaulk did say he made it his goal to bring Petrov along slowly and really teach him how to be a pro.

 

[McFlash97]

My god we have shxxx for prospects outside of 2 guys. How do these scouts keep thier jobs being this bad ? You can literally hire a typical Oiler fan and give them a scouting job and still find better players then the ones we saw this year. Hideous. No excuses for 2nd and 3rd year invites. 1 goal in 3 games ffs. Cut them all loose man. They are garbage . Keep Reilly and just bring up Savoie

 

[OHL Fan]

I hear your frusrtation McFlash97, but out of the last 3 games, the only guys you would push forward is OReilly and Savoie, wow. They are first rounders and should dominate above the rest. I didnt see anywhere close to that. Some ppl on this chat forum may say that forwards Nichol, Berglund, Clattenburg had more impact then the 2 you mention, given they are late round picks, and shouldnt have expected much from them.

They both showed some times of flash, but dont believe they were ahead of the rest. Yes Savoie shows he can be a complimentary player, but needs a serious playmaker or goal scorer with him. OReilly showed great defensive play, but very limited to no offense.

No one showed any offense, thus the reason for 1 goal scored.

Maybe we should credit the Goalies and undrafted dmen for only letting 6 five on five goals in 3 games. 2.00 GAA is pretty good. Just my opinion.

 

[Fourier]

Well that's good. Because a lot of opportunities in the NHL roster moving forward are going to require these guys to play a game that is ultimately 12 minutes of quiet, uneventful hockey.

You hope that there are a handful of guys that can put up 20 goals on their own here or there, but gone are the days where our farm team is a freewheeling offensive force.

I suppose his reliance on his veterans for much of last year was a tad concerning.

The bolded is why I am less worried about the prospect pool. Most teams with high end prospects NEED those players to be high impact guys up the line-up. The Oilers need a few bottom six (4th line?) guys who don't get eaten alive. The only really big need from the farm is a second pairing RHD. Maybe, and I emphasize maybe Akey is that guy. But it is definitely not a sure thing so they probably have to address that externally.

 

[Senor Catface]

My god we have shxxx for prospects outside of 2 guys. How do these scouts keep thier jobs being this bad ? You can literally hire a typical Oiler fan and give them a scouting job and still find better players then the ones we saw this year. Hideous. No excuses for 2nd and 3rd year invites. 1 goal in 3 games ffs. Cut them all loose man. They are garbage . Keep Reilly and just bring up Savoie

Again 7 out of our 10 best prospects aren’t there. Relax.

 

[McFlash97]

Savoie was really good in game 2. Picking his spots, setting up his teammates but guys around him had no finish. Hopefully he starts to shake off the rust a bit, I see a very talented player here when he's on.

 

[McAsuno]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1835842337161064528

Savoie will be fine. Give him some better quality NHL teammates and the kid will flourish much more in the future.

 

[oobga]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1835842337161064528

Savoie will be fine. Give him some better quality NHL teammates and the kid will flourish much more in the future.

Some really nice plays.

OK, starting to itch for some NHL hockey again

 

[JeffSkinner53]

Watching the games, Savoie seemed great at getting in the slot and has a quick release on both his shot and pass. I know those weren't NHL D-men but Savoie looked a step up from everybody else.

 

[JeffSkinner53]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1835842337161064528

Savoie will be fine. Give him some better quality NHL teammates and the kid will flourish much more in the future.

On an unrelated note, Tony Brar is a great play by play guy. Imagine Tony Brar and Michaels instead of Singh and Debrusk.

 

[yukoner88]

Excuse me while I block all my past posts so no can see my endless praising the brilliance of Tambo, MacT and Chia.

Hahaha yeah, all those great memories of hope... Heh .. he..eh

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Again 7 out of our 10 best prospects aren’t there. Relax.

Pretty safe to say that guys like Lavoie, Jarventie, Philp and Beryozkin would've been significant adds to the team. We still need to bolster the hell out of our blueline prospects though.

 

[Pip]

I hear your frusrtation McFlash97, but out of the last 3 games, the only guys you would push forward is OReilly and Savoie, wow. They are first rounders and should dominate above the rest. I didnt see anywhere close to that. Some ppl on this chat forum may say that forwards Nichol, Berglund, Clattenburg had more impact then the 2 you mention, given they are late round picks, and shouldnt have expected much from them.

They both showed some times of flash, but dont believe they were ahead of the rest. Yes Savoie shows he can be a complimentary player, but needs a serious playmaker or goal scorer with him. OReilly showed great defensive play, but very limited to no offense.

No one showed any offense, thus the reason for 1 goal scored.

Maybe we should credit the Goalies and undrafted dmen for only letting 6 five on five goals in 3 games. 2.00 GAA is pretty good. Just my opinion.

To be fair it’s difficult to score when your d can’t break the puck out. Wasn’t a great showcase for Savoie but man I watched so many shifts where he was in position doing his thing and playing the whole shift hemmed in because the defense couldn’t make plays when they had the puck on their stick. Wanner was the sole guy who showed any consistent ability and he’s hardly a puck mover.

When other teams bring a lot more AHL experience they’re gonna dominate teams made mostly of CHL players. Bains was an AHL all star ffs he has no business here.

I do think the team needs to really gun for some college/euro free agents though.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

To be fair it’s difficult to score when your d can’t break the puck out. Wasn’t a great showcase for Savoie but man I watched so many shifts where he was in position doing his thing and playing the whole shift hemmed in because the defense couldn’t make plays when they had the puck on their stick. Wanner was the sole guy who showed any consistent ability and he’s hardly a puck mover.

When other teams bring a lot more AHL experience they’re gonna dominate teams made mostly of CHL players. Bains was an AHL all star ffs he has no business here.

I do think the team needs to really gun for some college/euro free agents though.

Agents should be selling their young players hard on our team. Especially if they are on defense, gritty role players and top 6 wing talent.

 

[LemmyUlanov55]

Brett Brochu not being related to Martin Brochu still baffles me. That's probably my most important takeaway from those games.

 

[Jumptheshark]

I dont worry too much about results in this tournament. What matters here is progression and this tournament simply sets a benchmark

pretty much this. We only have a couple of legit guys we believe could make the NHL and lot of prospects