Ken Holland has always had a ton of patience in developing prospects before bringing them into the NHL, and for many years as the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, it worked great. When he took over the role of GM of the Edmonton Oilers, he brought the same philosophy with him. But unfortunately, he couldn’t implement it on some of the former first-rounders that lacked the same proper development before he took full control, like Jesse Puljujarvi.
There is no denying that Holland has made some great draft picks since coming to the Oilers. And although nobody should expect every single pick to hit, with the proper depth and development that has been a proven strategy under his management for many years, it will produce impactful players at all positions.
Oilers Being Impacted by Holland’s Strategy Right Now
While the Oilers have had no top-10 picks in a few years, and none have the pressure of being instantly thrust into the NHL too early, the Oilers have had some high picks that are taking a little longer than some may like to develop into everyday NHLers. Unfortunately, it is a little tough to judge because the three players I will present have dealt with injuries in their young careers, setting them back a bit.
The injuries definitely play a part in slowing down development, as prospects have had to sit on the sidelines in key growing years. This might slow their development from where they should be at this time or throw them off altogether. Both have happened many times. In the Oilers’ case, it appears as though slower growth is fine, but 2023-24 is the season where we will have to start to see a real change.
The three players most impacted by Holland’s strategy right now are Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, and Raphael Lavoie. I want to also include Xavier Bourgault in there, even though he has just played one year of pro in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season.
Broberg was injured during the World Junior Championships in 2021, which was more of a blow in his development than his two-week injury that occurred in December of 2022. The injury while he was with the Oilers might have played more of a role in why Vincent Desharnais started seeing more time on a regular basis on the third pair, keeping Broberg from playing as much or in a suitable role for him last season. He has performed very well in the AHL while showing some very bright spots with the Oilers in the 23 games played in 2021-22 and 46 games played in 2022-23.
Many might be expecting a lot out of him because he was chosen eighth overall, and some highly skilled players were chosen right after him, but he also just turned 22 years old. Typically, defencemen take longer to develop and have an impact in the NHL, so it will be best to judge him this season or even after that when he establishes a spot in the NHL. The pressure might be on as a former top pick, but there is confidence in him and no rush to get him into the top-four in Edmonton.
Holloway has experienced longer-lasting injuries to begin or during the past couple of seasons, directly impacting his chances of staying in the lineup in Edmonton. The most recent injury came in the middle of last season, whereupon returning from injury, he spent the remainder of the season in Bakersfield of the AHL after playing 51 games for the Oilers already that season.
Although it might have just been the right move for the Oilers to get him top-line minutes instead of playing in a fourth-line role in the NHL, his time to seize the third-line role on the Oilers should come this season. He might not be an elite point producer, but he will have an impact all over the ice. He was drafted in the top half of the first round a year after Broberg, but he must now graduate at age 21 to a full-time role in the NHL.
Lavoie was a high second-round pick for the Oilers back in 2019, and it appears as though he is will get a good look in training camp this season. He is no longer waivers exempt, so if he doesn’t make the team, he will be up for grabs on the waiver wire before he’s sent down. There could be a spot for the big winger on the third or fourth line in the NHL if he continues to play like he did after his return from injury partway through the 2022-23 season. He put up 42 points in the final 48 games of the season after three in his first 13 in the AHL. He will be 23 by the time he plays a game in the NHL next season.
Desharnais was a bit of an extreme example, as he spent three years in the NCAA and 3.5 years with the Bakersfield Condors before playing in the NHL after getting drafted, but all that time did prepare him for the NHL when he arrived.
The Impact on the Next Batch of Oilers’ Prospects
While the Oilers have the players to fill roles until the young batch of up-and-comers is ready for more responsibility and full-time NHL duties, we also have our eye on the next batch of Oilers prospects that will most likely also go through the proper and long development in the system.
I mentioned Bourgault above, as he is the most recent Oilers’ first-round pick that is still with the team. He had a successful and promising rookie season in the AHL, but unless he definitively proves that he can make the NHL team out of training camp, another year in the AHL, at the very least, is in store. The Oilers only have a certain amount of spaces available on the roster, and Holloway and Lavoie are ahead of Bourgault right now. That could change over the course of a year, but it will do Bourgault well to play another pro year in an easier league before he can make the jump to Edmonton.
Dipping into the top Oilers’ prospects, forwards Tyler Tullio, Matvei Petrov, and Carter Savoie should all spend a few years in the AHL before they get a shot in the NHL. The same goes for defencemen Max Wanner and Luca Munzenberger when they arrive. I believe that Holland is happy to allow prospects Nikita Yevseyev and Maxim Boryozkin to continue to play in another pro league, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), against good competition at such a young age. When they’re ready in a few years, they could have the potential to come right in and join the Oilers, skipping the AHL and leaving spots open for other prospects to develop closer to home in the meantime.
Related: Edmonton Oilers’ Top-10 Prospects of 2023-24
Even if a player is drafted high, the best decision is to wait until they are ready to compete at the NHL level. While the Oilers might not have a ton of high picks over the coming years because of the spot they are in to compete for the Stanley Cup, there are more than enough prospects with time to properly develop and help the team down the line.
