Edmonton Oil Kings
We really like the mix that Edmonton brought in this past season, they really stayed close to home and added players who had a tonne of offensive upside. To start it off they picked up three big framed players with their first three picks all of different positions. At the end they took a shot on a potential college commit but someone who was a top 44 ranked prospect. In the middle they took more two way players who will bring depth and reliability to their lineup but players who will play in the WHL once given the opportunity. I like how they really add were able to address needs but also build off what they are already set up for in the future.
1st Round Selection
Jake Neighbours (4th Overall) – The most complete package of skill + size + skating + smarts in the draft, Neighbours posted 68 points in 30 games played this season with POE Academy and was a goal a game at the elite 15 level. Neighbours has continued to improved his edge-work and shows confidence to make plays on his backhand. He can be defensively responsible and adapt to any situation you put him in. Big fan of this pick and looking down the road could be the turning point in Edmonton’s success. Excited to see him and Liam Keeler anchor that first line someday.
Notable Picks
Logan Dowhaniuk (26th Overall) – The captain of Camrose this past season is a big LHD two-way defender with a big shot from the point and quick decision making. He is a good puck transporter and player who can make big hits when he wants to. Dowhaniuk shows good potential and raw abilities to become a PP quarterback one day, will fit into a top four role in his sophomore WHL season.
Sebastian Cossa (36th Overall) – DraftGeek’s top ranked goalie, Cossa stands at 6’3 204lbs and is a late birthday… someone say NHL potential? He shows good crease control and the ability to see lanes through players. He suffered a bad injury in the middle of the season but since then has bounced back and made some solid starts that led his Fort Sask team to the AMBHL championships and ultimately put them into Westerns.
Brendan Kuny (136th Overall) – We don’t know how Kuny fell this, he is a rangy two-way forward who has a good shot and the ability to score from anywhere. He has good lateral movement and produced well this season with 46 points in 35 games. Potentially a top nine forward someday, interesting to see how he develops next season.
Jalen Luypen (180th Overall) – We heard he was planning on taking the college route but the top two round ranked prospect is a good long shot to take at this pick. He shows good speed + versatility and was the big guy coming out of OHA this past season. He as a forward ran their power play in the defenseman position and has added size this past season.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Edmonton really showed that they put in the work and are willing to take a shot at some prospects. Lacombe and Holm are two defenders from Saskatchewan who are more than one year away but have high upside. Pelletier has games where he cans score hat-tricks + more. Horstmann will someday be that bottom six center who plays a smart slow paced game but can be relied upon. I am excited to watch this crop at training camp and I think that the one thing I would like to have seen is a long shot on an American in the later rounds.
