In recent years, the Edmonton Oilers have increasingly adopted a strategy of drafting players in their second or even third year of eligibility. These players often go unnoticed, being overlooked in both the current draft rankings and in previous drafts. The rationale behind this approach is that player development varies, with some making significant strides in their Draft +1 or Draft +2 seasons, revealing potential for a professional career.
In the 2024 draft, three of the seven players selected by Edmonton were eligible in previous years but went undrafted, with two of them having been passed over in 2022 as well. This mirrors the team’s decisions in 2023 and 2022, when they also drafted 20-year-olds. Over the last ten drafts, the Oilers have selected eleven such players, most of whom were 20 or 21 years old at the time. While not an uncommon strategy, the Oilers seem to employ it more frequently than other teams, though exact statistics are not readily available.
Most of these picks are made in the later rounds, with Vincent Desharnais being a notable example; he was drafted at 20 in the seventh round in 2016 and only broke into the NHL in 2023. His success ultimately led to him pricing himself out of Edmonton due to his lack of RFA rights. Because they are typically later picks and late bloomers, these prospects often fall into the “depth prospects” category. This year, three such players ranked between #16-20 in the Oilers’ prospect rankings, with a fourth being an undrafted over-age junior signee. A fifth player, who was drafted at 18, serves as a contrast, having been selected when his future development was still uncertain.
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