September 16, 2022 by Ryan Lotsberg

The Edmonton Oilers prospects are in Penticton, British Columbia awaiting to play games against the Winnipeg Jets (Today at 5 PM), Calgary Flames (Saturday at 8:30 PM) and Vancouver Canucks (Monday at 3:30 PM) prospects in the 2022 Young Stars Classic this weekend.

The Oilers Rookies boast their four most recent first-round picks. Oilers fans have seen a little bit of 2019 eighth-overall pick, Philip Broberg, who played in 23 regular season games and one playoff game for the Oilers last season. Broberg is an offensive minded defenceman who skates like a dream.

He said that he added 12 pounds over the off-season to be able to play a more physical game, and he focused on becoming more reliable in his own zone. Many fans and pundits, including myself, expect him to make the Oilers out of camp.

Similar expectations are being placed upon 2020 14th overall pick Dylan Holloway. The speedy forward was slowed down by a wrist injury sustained in the Big 10 Championship while he was playing for Wisconsin in the NCAA during his impressive draft plus one season. It took two surgeries and half a season for him to recover. He’s healthy and ready to showcase his talent. He got 22 points in 33 games with Bakersfield last season, and he added four more points in five playoff games with the Condors. He made his NHL debut in game four of the Western Conference Final. He only got a few minutes of ice time, but he got a taste of what the NHL pace is like. He’ll be looking for more this fall.

According to Bob Stauffer, one of Holloway’s linemates this weekend will be 2021 22nd overall pick Xavier Bourgault. Bourgault has battled injuries of his own recently, but he says that he’s feeling good entering camp. Bourgault was hurt during the shortened World Junior tournament at Rogers Place last December. He was hurt again during the CHL playoffs. His Shawinigan Cataractes lost in the Memorial Cup semifinal. Bourgault tied for second in Memorial Cup tournament scoring with seven points. Bourgault is an exciting talent that’s known as a sniper but also has underrated playmaking ability. There’s a small window of opportunity for him to make the Oilers out of camp, but odds are that he’ll report to Bakersfield to start the season.

Oilers fans will get a first look at 2022 32nd overall pick Reid Schaefer. He plays an aggressive checking style. He’s the gritty style of player that the Oilers are lacking. He will likely be sent back to the Seattle Thunderbirds for another opportunity at a WHL Championship and an Memorial Cup berth, something that he and the Seattle Thunderbirds narrowly missed thanks to the Edmonton Oil Kings.

The Oilers rookie team features a bunch of other intriguing prospects as well. Carter Savoie scored the overtime winner in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal en route to a National Championship with Denver University last season. The former Sherwood Park Crusader puts up points everywhere he goes. He’s a pure scoring winger that the Oilers found in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. He will be a part of the youth movement joining the Bakersfield Condors this season.

Ty Tullio is looking like a late round steal for the Oilers. The 2020 5th round pick got 86 points in 65 games for the Oshawa Generals last season. Tullio has the compete level, the motor, and the hands to become an effective NHLer. He will also be joining the Condors this season.

Matvei Petrov came over to North America last season and filled the net for the North Bay Battalion. He got 40 goals and 90 points in 63 games as a 19 year old. Petrov is most known for his lethal shot. He’s looking like another steal for the Oilers in the sixth round of the 2021 draft.

Related: Oilers prospect Matvey Petrov could be the steal of the 2021 NHL Draft

Other notable forward prospects to watch include James Hamblin (35 points in 65 games with Bakersfield), Noah Philp (38 points in 36 games over two seasons with the University of Alberta), and Jake Chiasson (18 points in 20 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings, 2021 4th round).

Aside from Broberg, the most notable defencemen on this roster are Phil Kemp and Michael Kesselring. Kemp is a physical, shut down right shot defenceman that is coming off of his first full season with the Condors. The 23-year old is developing nicely and is the type of defenceman that the Oilers are lacking.

Kesselring, taken in the sixth round in 2018, continues to get better and better. He’s an offensive minded defenceman. My initial impression of him after watching him in a development camp shortly after he was drafted was that his foot speed would be an issue. I’m excited to see how he’s developed in that area.

Keep an eye on Maximus Wanner as well. The 2021 seventh rounder hits to kill and should be fun to watch.

The Oilers will have Olivier Rodrigue and Ryan Fanti in net. Rodrigue has had trouble gaining traction in the organization since being drafted in the third round in 2018. Rodrigue will be battling Fanti for the backup role behind Calvin Pickard in Bakersfield this year. Fanti was signed as a college free agent after posting a .929 save percentage and a 1.83 goals against average with the University of Minnesota Duluth last season. 

Cole Perfetti is the clear star of the Jets rookie roster and the best player in the tournament. The tenth overall pick in 2020 will look to improve upon his seven points in 18 games with the Jets last season. 2021 first rounder Chaz Lucius will be there as well. Brad Lambert is a guy that I’ll be watching. He has tantalizing skill, but he fell down the draft board to the Jets with the 30th pick in the 2022 draft. He was also healthy scratched during the recent World Junior tournament in Edmonton because his coach felt that he needed to use his teammates more. Oil Kings fans will remember defencemen Ethan Cap and Simon Kubicek. They will both suit up for the Jets this weekend.

The Flames rookie roster will be highlighted by 2019 first rounder Jakob Pelletier and 2020 first rounder Connor Zary. Keep your eye on Rory Kerins as well. The 2020 sixth round pick got 118 points in 67 games for the Soo Greyhounds as a 19 year old last season, which was good for second in the OHL. Jack Beck is another Flames prospect to watch. The 2021 sixth rounder scored 44 points in 36 games as an 18-year old last season. 

Arshdeep Bains led the WHL in scoring with 122 points in 68 games last season, and he’ll lead the Canucks rookies this weekend. Keep an eye on Danila Klimovich. The 2021 second rounder out of Belarus has NHL size (6’1”, 208 lbs) and scored eighteen points in 62 games for Abbotsford in the AHL last season. He turned nineteen in January. Only ten of the 26 players the Canucks will have this weekend are in their system. The rest are invitees. The most notable of those invitees is Brett Brochu, who was the third goalie for Canada during the World Junior tournament in August.

The Oilers have the strongest roster on paper. The Oilers also just came off a Western Conference Final berth. Having a strong professional team with a deep prospect pool is a great place to be, and that’s where the Oilers currently find themselves. Enjoy watching some Oilers hockey this weekend!