Edmonton Oilers prospect pool among NHL's weakest

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Patrick Frost
November 23, 2024 (11:51)

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According to TSN, the Edmonton Oilers U-24 prospect pool ranks among the the lowest in the NHL.

TSN has released its annual NHL team ranking of U-24 players, and I don't think it comes as any surprise that the Edmonton Oilers rank 27th in the league.

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button along with FloSports Senior NHL Draft and Prospects analyst Chris Peters were the analysts in charge if this selection, and the Edmonton Oilers ranking is definitely a cause for concern.

According to the Hockey Writers, he Oilers also did not have a single asset appear among TSN's top 50 NHL-affiliated players and prospects under age 24. Players are labeled AAA (superstar), AA (elite), A (No. 1 goalie, top-pair defenceman, first-line forward), B (tandem goalie, top-four defenceman, top-six forward), or C (backup goalie, depth defenceman, bottom-six forward).

Given that the Edmonton Oilers are currently stuck in "win now" mode, the team has sacrificed most of their top picks in recent years to secure the elite core of their team.

«With a vision that they have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard, some of the moves they've made in trading prospects and draft picks is all about right now: giving the Edmonton Oilers and this group of players every opportunity to compete for a Stanley Cup,» Button said. «And with it comes a price, and that price is is you're not going to have as many prospects.»
-Craig Button, TSN

Let's take a look at who the Edmonton Oilers have in their U-24 prospect pool

Chris Peters and Craig Button have identified each teams "core-4", and the ususal suspects have made the list.

Beau Akey, 21-year-old left wing Shane Lachance, 18-year-old right wing Sam O'Reilly, and 20-year-old right wing Matthew Savoie. Akey, Lachance, and Savoie all received B grades, while O'Reilly was graded C.

«It's mutually exclusive to have really good prospects and to be a current Stanley Cup contender» Button said. «That's the reality. The Edmonton Oilers are in that reality, and when you have (McDavid) and (Draisaitl) on your team, you better be in that reality, because it's not about the future, it's about right now.»
-Craig Button

Although the Edmonton Oilers arent stacked with prospects, they still have a great shot at hoisting the Stanley Cup, and I think fans hold that to a higher standard.