The NHL Draft and the Draft Lottery were must watch events in Edmonton from 2010 to 2015. The Oilers held the position of having the first-overall pick in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015. That’s when they had the luxury choosing Taylor Hall in 2010, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011, Nail Yakupov in 2012 and, of course, Connor McDavid in 2015.
Back in those years the Oilers were usually out of playoff contention by November or December, and fans turned their eyes from the regular season and focused on the draft lottery and then the NHL Draft itself half way through the season. Things have obviously turned around in Oil Country; in 2023 the Oilers’ focus is on improving the team through trades because quite frankly the draft pick cupboard is bare at least for this draft.
Oilers Only Have Three Draft Picks in the 2023 NHL Draft
Oilers general manager Ken Holland heads to the 2023 NHL Draft on June 28–29 in Nashville with a second-, a sixth- and a seventh-round pick. That’s it. Holland and his staff of scouts will be looking to wheel and deal to improve the Oilers for the 2023-24 NHL season.
Related: Cracking the Oilers and Ken Holland “Green Bananas” Code
High on the priority list will be freeing up cap space, which likely means players like Kailer Yamamoto, Warren Foegele or Cody Ceci could be on the move. The Oilers are looking to add legitimate upgrades to the line-up for next season and with Holland mentioning at his year-end press conference that he’s not interested in investing in green bananas (unproven draft picks and prospects), you know there’s an urgency for the Oilers to improve now.
Can Oilers Director of Scouting Tyler Wright Pull Off A Draft Miracle?
In 2019 Tyler Wright was hired as the Oilers Director of Amateur Scouting and Player Personnel. In the four years that Wright has been with the Oilers, he has brought in some strong prospects through the draft including first- and second-round picks: Philip Broberg, Raphael Lavoie, Dylan Holloway, Carter Savoie, Xavier Bourgault and Reid Schaefer, who was traded to Nashville in a deal involving Mattias Ekholm. Wright’s later-round picks such as Matvey Petrov, Maxim Berezkin and Nikita Yevseyev are showing signs of life, but he definitely has his work cut out for him in 2023.
You can never say never at the NHL draft, and Wright and the Oilers scouts may have some hidden gems they’re focusing on, but the chances of a draft-day miracle are not that high. The focus within the organization isn’t on the future, it’s all about winning now—especially while McDavid and Leon Draistaitl are under their present contracts. This means, if teams are willing to make trades with the Oilers at the draft table and take salary off their hands, this would be considered a bit of a victory for the organization if it happens.
High Expectations Heading into the 2023 NHL Draft
As many long-time Oilers fans can attest, they’d rather head into the draft knowing they’re focused on improving the team through trades and free agency now. It seems that Holland and Oilers management know that the window to win is in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 NHL seasons. It’s good to be in this position, but it could also come at a cost for the long-term future. That’s why Oilers fans have to hope that Holland, Wright and the Oilers scouting staff have really done their homework. They need to walk that fine line between stocking the shelves with prospects for their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Bakersfield and building the absolute best club possible in the NHL. This is what makes the NHL draft so intriguing.
It seems to be a foregone conclusion that with the Chicago Blackhawks winning the NHL Draft Lottery on May 8, they will be taking Regina Pats phenom Connor Bedard first overall. Will the Anaheim Ducks take highly rated centreman Adam Fantilli at No. 2 and the Columbus Blue Jackets take centre Leo Carlsson with No. 3? And, will the Oilers be able to unload some contracts and free up some cap space to improve their chances at winning the Stanley Cup in 2023-24? Stay tuned. The NHL Draft is just a few short days away.
