The 93 best players in the 2020 draft

by Lowetide

I’ve had a good long look at the 2020 draft, and if the Oilers can grab a couple of extra picks inside the top 60 there is value (like 2002 and 2013). There’s a fairly long list of real talent this time, plenty of forwards with great hands. A team like Edmonton, desperate for those player types, could improve in a hurry with good scouting and some luck.

THE ATHLETIC!

The Athletic Edmonton features a fabulous cluster of stories (some linked below, some on the site). Great perspective from a ridiculous group of writers and analysts. Proud to be part of The Athletic, check it out here.

  • New Lowetide: Will Oilers drafts be less reliant on the WHL under new management?
  • Daniel Nugent-BowmanConnor McDavid on a ‘fair season’, working out and picking quarantine teammates
  • Lowetide: Dave Tippett deploys unproven talent expertly in first Oilers season
  • Lowetide, Daniel Nugent-Bowman and Jonathan Willis: Oilers ABC: Picking the best players in franchise history, from Anderson to Zuke
  • Jonathan Willis: If the Oilers need to clear money with a buyout, they have one real option
  • Daniel Nugent-Bowman: The 5 games that define Leon Draisaitl’s Hart Trophy-worthy season
  • Lowetide: Final Oilers report cards: Second-half impact defines a successful season
  • Jonathan Willis: Does Filip Berglund’s new SHL contract mean he’s done with the Oilers?
  • Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Evolution of a star: Why Leon Draisaitl was our Hart pick
  • Lowetide: Oilers get good news from the farm as second-half performances spike
  • Lowetide: Should Oilers prospect Philip Broberg play in North America next year?
  • Daniel Nugent-Bowman and Jonathan Willis: Which former Oiler has the best argument to have his jersey number retired?
  • Lowetide: Which Oilers veterans are in roster peril?
  • Jonathan Willis: How good is Anton Slepyshev and what will an NHL return mean for the Oilers?
  • New Lowetide: Oilers’ challenge could be finding relief with a low cap ceiling

THE 93

1 (1) L Alexis Lafreniere, QMJHL. October 2001. He has insane talent and appears to be as sure a thing as one can get in an NHL draft. NHLE is 50.

2 (2) LC Quinton Byfield, OHL. August 2002, he is 6.04, 215. He skates well, can pass, take a pass and has a dynamic ability to him. Very likely to go here.

3 (3) LC Tim Stuetzle, DEL. Dynamic player, highlight reel offense and dangerous on every rush. His two-way game is good for his age. January 2002. People write about him as if afraid he’ll blow their list up and make them look silly in 2025. A good sign.

4 (4) RHD Jamie Drysdale, OHL. Great speed, passing and instincts, he’s instant offense from the blue. Part of Canada’s WJ Gold winner. April 2002. Not quite Byram but in the range.

5 (5) LC Marco Rossi, OHL. Posting jaw-dropping numbers, he’s a September 2001. Good speed, exciting, range of skills.

6 (6) LC Cole Perfetti, OHL. In a normal year he would be a lock for the top five but this is a strong draft at the top. January 2002. His wrist shot is already a great weapon in the OHL and he’s not fully grown (5.10, 177). NHLE is 48.2. Exceptional.

7 (7) RW Alexander Holtz, SHL. First-shot scorer with a range of skills, he’s an electric player. He’s quality. January 2002. NHLE is 22 but that’s without considering how little he played in the SHL (12:35).

8 (8) LW Lucas Raymond, SHL. Smart player who has ridiculous skill. March 2002. NHLE is 14.8, but he played only 9:48. Note: I don’t think there’s a chance in hell Edmonton gets close to the top eight names. After this, it’s wide open.

9 (9) RC-RW Dawson Mercer, QMJHL. Highly skilled forward who is a plus passer. He emerged a year ago and is taking another step this season (very good sign). October 2001. NHLE is 33.

10 (11) RW Jack Quinn OHL. He is a September 2001 who kept scoring goals all year. NHLE is 38.

11 (10) RC Mavrik Bourque, QMJHL. Creative center with great hands. Great passer, great shot. January 2002. NHLE: 33. I think he might be available when Edmonton chooses in the first round.

12 (13) LC Connor Zary, WHL. Two-way center who is likely to top out as a top-six forward is a good bet by this point in the first round. September 2001. NHLE 37.

13 (14) LC Anton Lundell, Liiga. October 2001 has a nice range of skills and is showing nice growth in his second Liiga season. NHLE 24.

14 (19) LD Jake Sanderson, USHL. This is Geoff Sanderson’s son and he can skate like the wind. Smart player, have drilled down a little on him and expect he’s going to be a top 20 pick on merit. July 2002

15 (16) RW Noel Gunler, SHL. Young winger has a great release and an impressive resume but is only an average scorer in the SHL. However, the points he is gathering are at even strength. October 2001. NHLE 14.

16 (18) RC Jacob Perreault, OHL. Skates well, great shot, great numbers. His numbers earn Perreault this spot. April 2002

17 (17) LD Jérémie Poirier, QMJHL. Smart two-way defender who may rise on my list. Solid from the Hlinka forward, he’s a gathering storm and could slide up several spots. June 2002

18 (20) RD Braden Schneider, WHL. Fine skater who has a range of skills, owns a fairly complete game. Schneider’s offense is comparable to most of the defenseman I have in the first round. Sept 2001

19 (24) RC Seth Jarvis, WHL.  Jarvis is a fantastic player, undersized and skilled. He might end up in my top 15.

20 (12) G Yaroslav Askarov, VHL. He plays an unusual style. June 2002, has a .923 VHL save percentage. He could go anywhere 8-25 in the first round.

21 (29) LC Jan Mysak, OHL. A late breaker and someone who has quite a lot of buzz around him all of a sudden. He’s a June 2002, very skilled and is effective in all three disciplines. He’s going to land in a good spot on the final list.

22 (15) LW Dylan Holloway, Big 10. Big power forward. He has a great shot and makes good passes, strong skater, nice range of skills. Offense never arrived, so I faded him. NHLE: 13.

23 (22) LC Hendrix Lapierre, QMJHL. Skill center who projects as a playmaker. The buzz on him entering the season was far more pronounced than it is now, so the second half of his season will be vital. Feb 2002.

24 (32) LW Lukas Reichel, DEL. One of the mid-season risers from Europe, his totals in the DEL (32, 10-11-21) are promising. He has skill, speed and plays with abandon. I like him better than Peterka but we have some distance to go.

25 (26) LW Rodion Amirov, KHL. His offensive potential is high, although the KHL numbers (21, 0-2-2) are shy. Scouts love the tools and he’s a fast train in a draft season with slow boats. October 2001.

26 (23) RHD Justin Barron, QMJHL. Mobile defenseman who can defend. Lacks top-end offensive ability so is shy of the top-10 overall, but a team who likes him might jump up. November 2001.

27 (30) RC Tyson Foerster, OHL. Great offensive weapon, quick release and accurate. His NHLE is very strong (34).

28 (21) RC Jean-Luc Foudy, OHL. Speedy center with plus skill, he’s a May 2002 and has 61 assists in 99 junior games. His brother is a famous prospect, not certain how he compares but in this year’s draft looks like mid to late first round.

29 (31) LD Kaiden Guhle, WHL. Big defenseman has good foot speed and appears to have something resembling an ideal skill set. In a large group of blue who appear to be two-way types but don’t bring big offensive numbers. Jan 2002

30 (25)  LW Jake Neighbours WHL I was surprised math liked him so much compared to his draft rivals. I have spoken to scouts who have him as an early second round pick, but he’s here on math. He’s skilled, gritty and plays a strong two-way game. March 2002

31 (38) LW Ridly Greig, WHL. Smart offensive winger with good instincts, he isn’t a fast train so gets nicked a little. August 2002 so there’s still room to grow.

32 (27) LC Ty Smilanic, USHL. Lean two-way center with enough skill to project into the top six based on math. Scouting report talks about plus skating and finding another gear. Promising resume. January 2002

33 (28) RW Luke Evangelista, OHL. I don’t trust London Knights numbers but this young man looks like a hit. Spiked in a big way this year, I like his scouting reports. Feb 2002

34 (33) LD William Wallinder, Superelite. He’s a big (6.04, 195) defenseman with great speed and the scouting reports suggest offensive potential. His numbers in the Swedish SuperElite don’t scream offense.

35 (40) LW John-Jason Peterka, DEL. A speedy winger with skill, and not yet the sum of his parts. Is scoring well (33, 6-4-10) in a men’s league, the question pertains to the quality of the league. I have faded him.

36 (50) LW Martin Chromiak, OHL. I like his scouting report and his OHL scoring numbers, not certain if he’s getting zoomed by Shane Wright. He looks substantial.

37 (34) RW Ozzy Wiesblatt, WHL. Skill winger lacks size but plays with great determination. Scoring at a point per game rate, and has already reached 20-goal plateau. March 2002.

38 (35) LC Vasili Ponomaryov, QMJHL. Great hands and good speed, he’s a little under the radar but rates well with other skill forwards I have ranked in the bottom half of the first round. March 2002

39 (37) LD Ryan O’Rourke, OHL. Good size (6.02, 181) and growing offensive ability have him here. Foot speed improving as he matures, projects as a top-four defenseman. May 2002.

40 (43) LC Thomas Bordeleau, USHL. Owns a great shot and is highly skilled with the puck. First shot scorer, year over year improvement looks substantial. Jan 2002

41 (44) LD Emil Andrae, SuperElite. Fast defenseman with offensive potential. Plus passer. Feb 2002.

42 (39) RW Sam Colangelo, USHL. Big power winger with skill, he has scored 20 goals in the USHL already. December 2001

43 (36) LC Antonio Stranges, OHL Terrific speed and skill, and delivers solid offense but the math doesn’t match the verbal. We wait. Feb 2002

44 (41) RW Zion Nybeck, SuperElite. Undersized playmaker, creative, great passer. Impressive speed. Smooth. May 2002.

45 (42) LW Brendan Brisson, USHL. Undersized speedster has a late 2001 birthday and lots of talent. His skating is good.

46 (45) LW Luke Tuch, USHL. Alex Tuch’s brother, he plays a similar style. Tuch’s USHL numbers are good not great. March 2002

47 (49) RC Justin Sourdif, WHL. Two-way winger gained notice at the Hlinka and has scored well on an average offensive team (Vancouver Giants). March 2002

48 (46) RC Jaromir Pytlik, OHL. He’s a fine skater and has two-way skills, meaning he’ll probably land in the top 50 on my list. Sept 2001

49 (47) RW Daniil Gushchin, USHL. Small, speedy playmaking forward. Good numbers. Feb 2002.

50 (56) LC Jack Finley, WHL. An August 2002 and a big pivot, he plays a fairly complete game and scouting reports have him as a good skater but without a strong first step.

51 (48) LW Will Cuylle, OHL. Lots of positives about Cuylle, I have him here because I don’t think his offense makes him a likely top-six forward. Has a great shot.

52 (57) LC Roni Hirvonen, Liiga. Undersized two-way forward, he can play center or wing. Known more for playmaking but he scored four times in three games at the Hlinka. January 2002.

53 (51) RW Connor McClennon, WHL. His offensive numbers are solid to excellent and he’s a June 2002 so there’s room to grow. He’s undersized but drives to the net. Range of skills.

54 (52) RD Topi Niemela, Liiga. I’ve faded a couple of Finnish defensemen this year because of foot speed. Niemela skates well but has some chaos. March 2002.

55 (53) LW Daniel Torgersson, SuperElite. He has size and good speed, plus his numbers at lower levels are impressive. A January 2002, we’ll know more about him by April.

56 (62) RW Kasper Simontaival, Koovee (Mestis). Unusual skating style but he’s quick and has high-end skill. I’m uncertain of the league quality offered by Mestis, but he has posted impressive numbers all the way through his career.

57 (54) RW Alexander Pashin, MHL. He won’t be the first Russian chosen but he’s very interesting. Small winger with impressive skill who gives effort across 200 feet. He can score and pass.

58 (55) LW Roby Jarventie, Mestis. He’s an August 2002 and a nice size and speed combination. Has a good shot. Has played five Liiga games (scored a goal) and could spike.

59 (NR) RW Dylan Peterson, US National Development Program. Big winger with skill and speed, he was a little shy offensively this season. That’s the problem with the U18 national team, real talent is often obscured.

60 (NR) LW Veeti Miettinen, Jr Liiga. Undersized and not a great skater, how does he make the list? Miettinen fills the net with pucks, 42 in 52 Jr. Liiga games.

61 (58) LW Sean Farrell, USHL. A good skater with plus skills, he is posting strong numbers this season. November 2001

62 (59) RD William Villeneuve, QMJHL. Tall, thin two-way defenseman is spiking offensively this season (51 points in 56 games). Great passer, March 2002.

63 (60) LD Tyler Kleven, USHL. A big shutdown defenseman (6.04, 201) with good speed and a scouting report that says he has ‘offensive tools’ but his USHL numbers are shy. January 2002.

64 (61) G Nico Daws, OHL. Hard to know where the goalies land, but his numbers in a good league have him here.

65 (NR) RD Helge Grans, Malmo (SHL). Solid two-way defenseman with good size and speed. Offense may be underrated, he was point per game in SuperElite this year.

66 (NR) LW Carter Savoie, Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL). Small, fleet skill winger delivered 99 points in 54 games this season. Might be badly undervalued, led his league with 53 goals.

67 (NR) LD Lukas Cormier, Charlottetown Islanders (QMJHL). Undersized skill defender with good speed and skill. He’s a smart player, lack of size for his position will hurt draft number. NHLE is 19, if he’s hanging around in round three a team should take Cormier.

68 (NR) LC Marat Khusnutdinov (MHL). Small (5.09, 165) two-way center with great wheels. NHLE is 13. Offense is the worry.

69 (NR) RC Theodor Niederbach (SuperElite). Skill center is a late breaker this draft, partly because he missed last season entirely. A bit of a wild card but the numbers are impressive.

70 (NR) LD Eemil Viro (Sm-Liiga). Small and fast offensive defender, lots of opinions on him. Has some two-way ability but lacks a dominant skill.

71 LD Shakir Mukhamadullin, UFA (KHL). He’s 6.04, 178 and raw as a prospect. Good speed, talent, hasn’t yet found success in the offensive zone.

72 (NR) RD Michael Benning, Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL). Impressive skills (fine skater, excellent passer) lend themselves to the offensive side of the game, and he can transition well. Undersized, he may fall on draft day but it worth a third-round pick based on puck-moving ability.

73 (NR) G Calle Clang, Rogle (SuperElite). Good size, a .913 SP and stellar work at the Hlinka.

74 (NR) LW Oskar Magnusson, Malmo (SuperElite). Smaller winger with good speed and two-way acumen. Plays in all disciplines, can play center, has goal-scoring ability.

75 (NR) RW Ryan Francis, Cape Breton (QMJHL). Playmaking winger who plays a smart game. A December 2001, his NHLE is 27. He could be a steal.

76 (NR) LW Owen Pederson, Winning (WHL). There’s no doubt he was getting zoomed by substantial linemates, but Pederson scored 28 goals in 61 games. He’s worth drafting, question is where.

77 (NR) LC Elliot Ekmark, Linkoping (SuperElite). High skill, elusive, great speed, undersized. Steve Kournianos says he plays “inside” meaning he can play in traffic.

78 (NR) RW Pavel Novak, Kelowna Rockets (WHL). Speedster with skill, he’s a scorer who can also make plays with the puck. NHLE is 26, he’s an April 2002. Lots to like this late.

79 (NR) RD Luke Prokop, Calgary Hitmen (WHL). A giant (6.04, 218) already (May 2002), scouting reports have him able to gaps and suppress offense. Has some offensive flair, including a good shot.

80 (NR) G Sam Hlavaj, Sherbrooke (QMJHL). Boasts a .915 save percentage and stands 6.04, 218. Has drawn comparisons to Devan Dubnyk.

81 (NR) RW Brandon Coe, North Bay (OHL). Power forward scored 25 goals in the OHL this season. A December 2001, he owns a plus wrist shot and has good speed.

82 (NR) LW Brett Berard, US National Development Team (USHL). Small skill winger with good hands, he scored seven goals in 13 USHL games this season.

83 (NR) G Joel Blomquist, Karpat (Jr Liiga). Strong numbers (.929) he’s a confident goaltender who has a good glove.

84 (NR) LC Daniel Ljungman, Linkoping (SuperElite). Emerged from nowhere at the Hlinka Gretzky, he had a solid year. Great release.

85 (NR) RW Wiljami Myllylä, HIFK (Jr Sm-Liiga). Speed demon, has been posting gaudy scoring numbers for several years. Also made my list a year ago.

86 (NR) G Dylan Garand, Kamloops Blazers (WHL). Eye popping SP (.921) for June 2002, but he’s only 6.0 in height so won’t go high. Born in the wrong era, he’s talented. Good numbers down the line.

87 (NR) LD Daemon Hunt, Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL). Big defender with good wheels, he is an effective player without the puck and will earn his money as a shutdown defenseman should he make the NHL. Suffered an injury that robbed him of much of the season.

88 (NR) LW Pavel Gogolev, Guelph Storm (OHL). I had him No. 85 in 2018 and he was injured last year. Now 20, he is fast and has a great shot.

89 (NR) LC Juuso Mäenpää, Jokerit (Jr Liiga). Very small but highly skilled playmaker who didn’t get a lot of looks at the Hlinka but impressed in limited minutes.

90 (NR) LW Maxim Groshev, Nizhnekamsk (KHL). A December 2001, he’s 6.02, 187, he’s skilled and determined with the puck on his stick.

91 (NR) RD Kasper Puutio, Everett Silvertips (WHL). Skill defender had a good Hlinka and then a strong late push after being dealt. Could be underrated here.

92 (NR) LD Leo Loof, Farjestads (SuperElite). Smooth skating defender who can move the puck efficiently. Calm feet.

93 (NR) RD Billy Constantinou, Soo Greyhounds (OHL). Fast as lightning, high risk and reward defender. I had him No. 57 last year.

OILERS MOCK!

  • No. 23 overall: LC Jan Mysak
  • No. 85 overall: LC Daniel Ljungman
  • No. 147 overall: LW Pavel Gogolev
  • No. 178 overall: RC Ben King
  • No. 209 overall: G Hugo Ollas

There are some good forwards in this draft, and the Oilers can get one in the first round. As I mentioned above, trading for a couple of second rounders would help, but I say that every year.

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OriginalPouzar

Harpers Hair: Good grief…everyone is announcing massive layoffs.

Beer makers may be the last to suffer.

No, not all “NHL organizations” are announcing mass layoffs.

The Habs have always had trouble with signing free agents, the Quebec taxes one of a few reasons requiring them to “outbid”.

There is no certainty that Molson is going to be writing cheques, hand over fist.

ArmchairGM

anjinsan:
Byfield = toolsy, not brainy = Puljujarvi

He reminds me a little of Nurse, actually. Huge, great skater, all kinds of tools… of course, his puck skills and shooting are well above Nurse’s.

defmn

Munny:
No, but it would be crazy to think they don’t have exposure. Hopefully, they have nowhere near the leverage. But who knows… Things happen a little more quietly here on the frozen tundra.Even in this case, these things happened a week ago and we’re just finding out about them now.

Right now everyone’s accounts are being protected by the national printing press.Fortunately, this generation of Central Bankers is expert at zombie banking.

Thanks. About what I thought but I am long retired and don’t really stay in touch anymore.

Harpers Hair

OriginalPouzar:
The Habs also announces massive layoffs – Molson may not be so apt to write a bunch of big cheques in the near future.

Good grief…everyone is announcing massive layoffs.

Beer makers may be the last to suffer.

Genjutsu

Poeple will come to see the Habs no matter what.

Montreal doesn’t have the money other Canadian cities do but the still sell out.

That city lives and dies with its team like no other.

defmn

Munny:
Capital One received a stealth bailout by the CFTC last weekend.Energy derivatives blew up in its face.

Probably not the only bank in trouble or on the verge thereof.

Sorry for this, I’ve been trying to lighten up on the shitty news lately.

You hearing anything about the main Canadian banks?

Munny

No, but it would be crazy to think they don’t have exposure. Hopefully, they have nowhere near the leverage. But who knows… Things happen a little more quietly here on the frozen tundra. Even in this case, these things happened a week ago and we’re just finding out about them now.

Right now everyone’s accounts are being protected by the national printing press. Fortunately, this generation of Central Bankers is expert at zombie banking.

OriginalPouzar

who: It’s concerning me less and less all the time. Greens influence in the organization appears to be declining. I think that’s a good thing, but who knows.
Unless you’re in the room nobody really knows who’s championing each draft pick.

Generally that’s probably true but sometimes there is some fairly solid intel – for example, its fairly commonly known that Scott Howson pushed very very hard for the Caleb Jones pick.

I’m definitely not in the room but I imagine that Green is far from the first guy on staff that Holland is currently looking for for advice. Then again, he still is on that staff….

OriginalPouzar

Wa Capital One really “bailed out” or given a month waiver? For now….

Munny

Preventing what would amount to a margin call from happening, is in essence the same thing, it’s money in the bank’s pockets. But I do denote the difference with “stealth” I believe the waiver expires Sept. 30.

This is ostensibly to prop up lending, which is ludicrous given no one is lending anyone anything right now.

who

OriginalPouzar: Does this still concern you though?

Bob Green, while still with the organization, seems to have been demoted down the totem pole and, frankly, since Keith Gretzky was hired, these types of selections and draft day decisions seem to have gone away, no?

Not to mention that Tyler Wright is now in the organization which, in this regard, could have pros and cons. It further removed a guy like Bob Green from influence on Holland but it likely serves to remove Keith Gretzky as well and drafts have gone well since he’s been around, generally.

It’s concerning me less and less all the time. Greens influence in the organization appears to be declining. I think that’s a good thing, but who knows.
Unless you’re in the room nobody really knows who’s championing each draft pick.

OriginalPouzar

The Habs also announces massive layoffs – Molson may not be so apt to write a bunch of big cheques in the near future.

Harpers Hair

ArmchairGM: It’s probably too far fetched, but if Montreal gets a good C at #8 (Perfetti?) and re-signs Domi to a decent contract, I wonder if they’d entertain a Puljujarvi-for-Kotkaniemi swap? What would Edmonton have to add to make it happen?

Worth noting that Montreal has tremendous amounts of cap space and is a position to pick off orphan free agents.

No need to be trading for problem children.

Munny

Capital One received a stealth bailout by the CFTC last weekend. Energy derivatives blew up in its face.

Probably not the only bank in trouble or on the verge thereof.

Sorry for this, I’ve been trying to lighten up on the shitty news lately.

Decidedly Skeptical Fan

Those on the wrong side of the oil hedges are going to get killed unless OPEC+ blinks first.

anjinsan

Byfield = toolsy, not brainy = Puljujarvi

OriginalPouzar

ArmchairGM: It’s probably too far fetched, but if Montreal gets a good C at #8 (Perfetti?) and re-signs Domi to a decent contract, I wonder if they’d entertain a Puljujarvi-for-Kotkaniemi swap? What would Edmonton have to add to make it happen?

Kotkaniemi is still just 19 – the only reason for the Habs organization or Habs fans to be down on his career trajectory is unreasonable expectations combined with poor management decisions on development.

Its not much different that what we saw with Puljujarvi except earlier in the process.

I would expect the add would have to be very material – Samorukov probably not enough

OriginalPouzar

Munny:
OriginalPouzar,

That’s gonna take some super-powered drone to drop off that package on your hi-rise balcony, lol.

Good to hear, and always nice to see one’s parents while something like this is going on.

mine are 6 hours away and I worry about them constantly (81 & 79 yo).

I’ve gone from FaceTiming there every Saturday to every second day – for a while there is was to keep tabs on them as they soooooo weren’t listening to “recomendations” – going for coffee with people, having the old Jewish ladies over for maj on, etc.

I think they were so thankful for something to do – drive to Red Deer and bank to Edmonton – I know they are bored as heck being so social generally.

It was odd, we just stood in the parking lot of the Tim Hortons and chatted from a distance – Dad didn’t even get to go in to the brand new car to check it out.

Sad times!

Munny

OriginalPouzar: having the old Jewish ladies over for maj on

I’m guessing that’s mahjong? Had to think about it for a couple of seconds, lol.

There’s some pretty sweet mahjong programs for computer and tablet out there, if your mom is into using devices.

OriginalPouzar

Pescador: I can confirm that OP was in Red Deer today,
I helped him convert the back seat ofhis Camero into an arm curl machine.
Now he can crush out reps like Lincoln Hawk on his way to corporate takeovers.

https://images.app.goo.gl/V2sAtYSLSMujdo6K6
Over the Top

Haha – that is awesome!

Of course, I’m not a skid so no camaro….

jp

Munny: RW Liam Folkes has signed a 2-year AHL deal

Also notable I thought were that his boxcars last season were much better 39-18-24-42. Pretty decent player on an AHL deal I’d say.

ArmchairGM

Lowetide: Balance. That’s the key. Oilers could use a pick in the second round. Doesn’t mean they’ll get it, but Puljujarvi currently burns a hole in his pocket. Can he get an actual NHL player for him? I agree that would be the best play, a youngster under control.

Draft pick works too.

It’s probably too far fetched, but if Montreal gets a good C at #8 (Perfetti?) and re-signs Domi to a decent contract, I wonder if they’d entertain a Puljujarvi-for-Kotkaniemi swap? What would Edmonton have to add to make it happen?

ArmchairGM

The idea being, of course, that Kotkaniemi could solve the 3C problem for a decade plus.

godot10
defmn

Harpers Hair:

Erik Satie is my favorite composer if that tells you anything.

Hard to argue with that.

Harpers Hair

Munny:
Like more favourite than Chopin?

That can’t be possible.

Chopin was a savant but his romantic style is not my cup of tea.

Penderecki was a modernist with a unique sense of drama.

Erik Satie is my favorite composer if that tells you anything.

Munny

Well I would argue that Avant-garde doesn’t exist without Chopin subverting expectations left, right and centre in the prior generation. The changes he effected on the world of music were stunning. Art with a capital “A”.

But to each their own obviously. Great doesn’t necessarily mean favourite.

Munny

OriginalPouzar,

That’s gonna take some super-powered drone to drop off that package on your hi-rise balcony, lol.

Good to hear, and always nice to see one’s parents while something like this is going on.

mine are 6 hours away and I worry about them constantly (81 & 79 yo).

OriginalPouzar

Munny:
I haven’t seen this posted yet… I’m assuming because OP is on his way to Red Deer to pick up some black market plates with which he can weigh down his vehicle in these slippery times.

RW Liam Folkes has signed a 2-year AHL deal with Bakersfield. Folkes was a senior at Penn State and just finished his 4th year there. The Condors have good depth on D but lack skill up front. Folkes, who is 5’9, went 11-14-25 in 33GP last season and was +14.

Courtesy of Kurt Leavins’s 9 Things which can be found here:

https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/the-strong-economic-enticements-for-the-edmonton-oilers-to-return-to-the-ice-post-covid-19-as-soon-as-humanly-possible-9-things/wcm/35cd4bff-e1e4-41e4-8746-5483c002528d/

Damn, that’s sumkinda long URL…

1) Yes, I was on my way to Red Deer and I came back with a full set of 30 year old plates and a barbell. There will be deadlifts and bent-over rows tomorrow mornig – the masses will rejoice. Heavy presses will need to wait until the cage/rack arrives – later this week with any luck (Amazon providing a range).

2) I posted about the Folkes signing a few days ago when it happened…….

OriginalPouzar

who:
These are obviously all better picks than Benson. But that is pure hindsight.
What concerns me about the Benson pick is the obvious hard on that Bob Green had for this player. My concern is that it was a local bias pick based on Bensons play as a Bantam in Edmonton, and not based on his more recent play in the WHL. The same Green influenced bias that gave us the Reinhart deal.
The cases are strikingly similar. Both moves were made based on the players play from several years ago rather than their latest results. Green seems to have had a major influence in both cases.
The Reinhart deal is obviously the bigger disaster, but the process looks the same to me.

Does this still concern you though?

Bob Green, while still with the organization, seems to have been demoted down the totem pole and, frankly, since Keith Gretzky was hired, these types of selections and draft day decisions seem to have gone away, no?

Not to mention that Tyler Wright is now in the organization which, in this regard, could have pros and cons. It further removed a guy like Bob Green from influence on Holland but it likely serves to remove Keith Gretzky as well and drafts have gone well since he’s been around, generally.

Harpers Hair

Ben:
I’m usually pretty non-plussed/annoyed by the over-wrought social media reaction to celebrity death. Lots of people you never meet die, every day.

But if/when John Prine goes I’ll pour a whiskey or five. Fuck Covid-19 right in its spiny orb-face.

Krystov Penderecki died today.

He was my favourite Polish composer who also scored the Exorcist and the Shining.

Munny

Like more favourite than Chopin?

That can’t be possible.

Foege Foegele Torpe

Munny:
I haven’t seen this posted yet… I’m assuming because OP is on his way to Red Deer to pick up some black market plates with which he can weigh down his vehicle in these slippery times.

I can confirm that OP was in Red Deer today,
I helped him convert the back seat of his Camero into an arm curl machine.
Now he can crush out reps like Lincoln Hawk on his way to corporate takeovers.

https://images.app.goo.gl/V2sAtYSLSMujdo6K6
Over the Top

Slocanoil

LOL

Munny

I thought we were deadlifting the Camaro…

TheTikk

I’m usually pretty non-plussed/annoyed by the over-wrought social media reaction to celebrity death. Lots of people you never meet die, every day.

But if/when John Prine goes I’ll pour a whiskey or five. Fuck Covid-19 right in its spiny orb-face.

northerndancer

I will join you (from a distance).

OriginalPouzar

Harpers Hair: 2016

DeBrincat
Samuel Girard
Carter Hart
Philip Hronek
Dylan Dube

Not to mention the non-first round picks like Mete, Fox and Bratt that are helping their teams.

Of course, the book is not closed on the draft either – for example, the Oilers picked Berglund and he definitely has a chance to be an NHL player – not a sure thing but just one example of a player drafted outside the first round that still has reasonable NHL potential – I’m sure there are many many other in the “Berglund Range”.

OriginalPouzar

Woodguy v2.0: Wouldn’t be surprised if Benning or JP (or both) are moved for 2nds.

Very well could be although I suspect that Holland won’t flip Jesse for a second straight up unless its a very high second.

Benning, ya, I can see it if he’s planning on re-signing Green, which I think he is.

I don’t think Benning could get much more than a 2nd rounder (or equivalent value) on the market but, further to the conversation yesterday, on the theory that a 2nd rounder has a 28% chance of playing 100 NHL games, well, injuries aside, Benning will likely play another 100 NHL games before the 2nd rounder even turns pro.

In that regard, Benning is more valuable than a 2nd rounder but, of course, that’s not quite how it works and his trade value is indeed in that neighbourhood.

who

Lowetide: I don’t know, as I don’t share the opinion. I wrote a report card last week for The Athletic and much of the feedback pertained to Holland not getting much done. I think he accomplished a great deal with that one trade, and got his team into the playoffs to boot. A fine season to my eye.

Agreed.
Just asking because I haven’t seen anyone posting anything negative about the trade.

OriginalPouzar

pts2pndr:
While what you say has truth to it. Developing players are an absolute necessity in a cap world if you want to be a contending team. The more draft choices the more opportunities to acquire an NHL cap value player. Years of throwing away draft choices for other teams over the hill gang or players that can’t skate has to stop.

Yup, agree 100%.

While it depends on where the team is in its progression, the draft is generally not about the here and now and its about asset acquisition, growth for the future and cap structure.

Value contracts are a must to maintain cap compliance where there are top heavy contracts and, of course, mistakes on the books (i.e Lucic turning to Neal, etc.).

Ethan Bear playing 1/2RD on an ELC was massive this year.

Caleb Jones at $800K (or is it $850K) for the next two years is mind-boggling value.

Not an “outside the 1st round pick” but, Yamamoto changing the entire team dynamic on an ELC and playing next year on his ELC, massive and 3 years of Bouchard on his ELC, wow!

If one of McLeod or Lavoie can play material minutes during their ELCs – boon.

Need to keep the pipeline coming.

Munny

lol… thankya.

Munny

who: Why do you feel we are less happy with the Lucic-Neal tradenow?
Still seems like a great trade. Exceptional if we get to keep the 3rd rounder.

It makes me smile every time I think about it. Considering the movement of the 3rd is now in doubt, people should be even happier.

Munny

I haven’t seen this posted yet… I’m assuming because OP is on his way to Red Deer to pick up some black market plates with which he can weigh down his vehicle in these slippery times.

RW Liam Folkes has signed a 2-year AHL deal with Bakersfield. Folkes was a senior at Penn State and just finished his 4th year there. The Condors have good depth on D but lack skill up front. Folkes, who is 5’9, went 11-14-25 in 33GP last season and was +14.

Courtesy of Kurt Leavins’s 9 Things which can be found here:

https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/hockey/nhl/cult-of-hockey/the-strong-economic-enticements-for-the-edmonton-oilers-to-return-to-the-ice-post-covid-19-as-soon-as-humanly-possible-9-things/wcm/35cd4bff-e1e4-41e4-8746-5483c002528d/

Damn, that’s sumkinda long URL…

who

Lowetide:
When we say things like “second round picks are five years away and may not help anyway” I think we’re missing an important point.

Let me give you an example. When Darryl Sutter took over as GM in Calgary, he made some impressive moves. Dealt for Kiprusoff (second-round pick turned into Marc-Edouard Vlasic), Alex Tanguay, Craig Conroy, etc.

And the Flames were good, damn good. Made it to SCF in 2004.

Then came the cap. So, with the cap, you need inexpensive options. You can grab them from other teams if you’re smart (Patrick Maroon, Josh Archibald) but they’re smart too.

Holland arrived to a lush system of defencemen but not much in the way of forwards. He was smart in getting Archibald and Nygard, and I do think he was smart in getting Neal for Lucic (although people are less sold on that now than the day it happened, which is curious).

Either way, Sutter’s second round picks got him success and then left him bleeding in the ditch. Holland doesn’t have Kiprusoff but he has a helluva lot. He needs Benson to cash, and McLeod and Lavoie too.

He needs some guys who can increase the odds this summer. It is five years down the road, but one assumes Holland would like to have enjoyed a Stanley by then AND have a few picks in the show.

Balance. That’s the key. Oilers could use a pick in the second round. Doesn’t mean they’ll get it, but Puljujarvi currently burns a hole in his pocket. Can he get an actual NHL player for him? I agree that would be the best play, a youngster under control.

Draft pick works too.

Why do you feel we are less happy with the Lucic-Neal trade now?
Still seems like a great trade. Exceptional if we get to keep the 3rd rounder.

Munny

Lowetide: Draft pick works too.

I think if it did, he’d already be traded.

Holland may have to circle back to draft pick, but pretty clear he’s been after a real NHL player or blue chip prospect, because that return would be preferable to pushing the timeline back.

Draft pick is better than nothing, but doesn’t “work” near as well as getting someone who can play.

Munny

theboyfromsouthdetroit: Am I crazy for thinking I would take him 2OV?

It would be tough to leave Byfield on the board. He’d go #1 in many drafts, still might in this one.

theboyfromsouthdetroit

I’ve never grasped how Rossi can be ranked at 4 or 5 so consistently across all the experts. I get that he’s substantially older. But the kid does everything. 2+ppg… Plays C… Coach trusts him in every situation… Did I mention 2ppg. How many of the younger kids would score the way he has if they were 8 months older?

I’m reminded of 2 things.

1, Alex Debrincat: i.e. don’t try to explain away outrageous Junior scoring numbers. Obviously this is on a larger scale being in a top 5 scenario

2, Canucks vs. potato drafting experiment (just take the highest scoring available CHL player and you’ll likely beat 200 hockey men on the regular).

Am I crazy for thinking I would take him 2OV?

JimmyV1965

defmn: Missed Hart.

Dube is just starting imo. I think he has 6 or 7 goals over 70 games in two seasons. On the verge of “regular, helping his team”. Next year is probably his breakout year.

Hart and Debrincat are probably the two ‘for sures’.

Hronek is the best dman in Detroit. That might not be saying much, but he’s top four absolutely.

jp

Woodguy v2.0: Wouldn’t be surprised if Benning or JP (or both) are moved for 2nds.

I like Benning more than most but wonder if he’ll return a 2nd (because injuries and 1 year to UFA).

Two 2nd’s via trade and the 3rd for Neal staying put would sure change the complexion of this draft for the Oilers though.

godot10

This is a video from a New York ICU physician about common sense measures to protect yourself and those around you from Covid disease.

https://vimeo.com/399733860

Justthestatsman

godot10,

This is awesome information. Very practical and delivered without fear mongering. Thank you.

Decidedly Skeptical Fan

Much appreciated … I will be passing this on to those I know.

jp

jfry:
hi LT,

love these lists. thanks so much for making them. a small suggestion, since you value NHLE so highly it would be really great to see that number for each player.

also, byfield’s birthday is nuts. feels like he’s not getting spoken enough in draft circles (which is weird to say about a number 2)

Including NHLE would be really nice, seconded..

defmn

Harpers Hair: It’s just a reminder how good the Colorado D is going to be whenever hockey returns,

LD
Girard
Graves
Zadorov
Byram
Cole

RD
Makar
Johnson
Timmins

Which is a reminder that judging GM’s in the short term is not realistic. How many wanted to fire Sakic just a few years ago? I guess the same would be said for Benning in Vancouver.

If you inherit a team with only four or five of the 12 most important positions filled it doesn’t take a genius to see that you are looking at a 5 year rebuild even if you do everything right unless the hockey god’s decide to smile.

Harpers Hair

blainer:
Ottawa has 8 picks in the first 64 and ten in the top 100 selections in the the 2020 draft. This is the team we should be targeting to trade JP.

What a year to have that many picks.. I wonder if they use any of them for currency.

Given where the Oilers are in the “win now” cycle, they should be targeting players who are blocked rather than seeking draft picks that won’t likely contribute for 3-5 years.

pts2pndr

Only if the targeted player fits a definite present need.

Harpers Hair

defmn: Right, you are again. Just looked at his TOI. I had no idea he was getting that much ice time.

It’s just a reminder how good the Colorado D is going to be whenever hockey returns,

LD
Girard
Graves
Zadorov
Byram
Cole

RD
Makar
Johnson
Timmins

Kinger_Oil.redux

defmn: Or.

The reason we are still not good is because we have blown so many first round draft picks.

Works both ways.?

– True. Klef nurse McDavid drai Kailer Bear Jones RNH (Jar?) account for virtually all of the success this year.

– Pool Yak and the fail of some other non-1st rounders is the reason we aren’t better.

pts2pndr

You could add in the two wasted picks on Reinhart in a very good draft year.