Oilers Announce Impressive Prospects Roster
Lowetide
August 12 2010 05:28PM
The Edmonton Oilers released their list for prospect camp today.
This is the group that will play in the Young Stars Prospects Tournament in mid-September against other NHL clubs young prospects. The list is here. The marquee players are Taylor Hall, Magnus Pääjärvi and Jordan Eberle, but the secondary bunch is also impressive: Tyler Pitlick, Chris Vande Velde, Teemu Hartikainen among the forwards, and Martin Marincin and Jeff Petry on the blue. Goalie Olivier Roy is also a highly touted prospect of interest.
The Oilers have invited a few non-draftees/signings as well. Notable in that group is Chase Schaber. He's a 19-year old WHL center with some jam and late (very late) developing skill. Mike Remmerde had this to say about him before the June draft:
- We always knew this guy had some pretty good skill level, and he finally started to show it off after the trade from Calgary. Still has that speed and fearless style, too. Was on our list late last year and as a sleeper that we like, and maybe some team finally saw it. Probably gets passed over again, but deserves a camp invite.
Once again Remmerde calls it. The 8-game tournament in Penticton will feature Oilers, Flames, Canucks, Ducks and Sharks prospects. With their draft pedigree, the young Oilers should show well.
LT
I beg of you to continue to refer to Paajarvi-Svensson as such. We can't let these millionaire athletes change their names on a whim.
Next thing you know Reddox declares himself Dos Ocho Cinco and we lose all remaining decency.
Think of the younger generation coming up. We need solidarity on this.
Right, but the important thing is they invited a Swiss d-man named Dominik Schlumpf.
Schlumpf! What a great name.
Nate: Done! I have relatives in Penticton. They don't smell very good but there's beer. :-)
nothing
Am I missing something? No Omark?
He's 23 with 3 years of pro under his belt. Not coming to rookie camp, but Snoopy will be there at the big boy camp.
MattL: I think Omark's experience in the SEL & KHL(over 225 pro games) likely disqualifies him. I doubt it has anything to do with age, as Vande Velde is about one month younger and he's on the roster.
Eberle's listed as a C??? I thought he was RW and also the last of the 3 new guys to make that switch.
@HottScarrison
How many people checked the roster hoping to find a number in front of Hall's name?
Nice to see that the Oil will be streaming the games online. A month from now I'll be getting really twitchy for a hockey fix.
@ Lowetide,
Want to car pool? I'll let you ride shotgun...
It's too bad the Oilers don't play Anaheim, I'd like to see Hall V Fowler & Etem.
Good for Schaber. He was stuck behind a deep, deep lineup in Calgary the last couple of years; good to see he's getting an opportunity elsewhere.
I know I'm the most familiar with our roster but on paper our team should bend the other teams over and have intercourse with them....
where are you pooling from, maybe I'll join you!!!
Eww.
Anyone worried Petry is listed at 176lbs on that roster link? 6'3" but in the same weight class as Martin St. Louis and Patrick Kane.. Might be time for him to start thinking about bulking up.
LT lives alone on the top of a mountain in the Himalayas. Nate lives deep deep in a cave in the Himalayas.
THEY NEED TO TELEVISE THIS AHHHHH ...
on sportsnet1!!
Where were you when JDD dropped the first D?
Besides Svensson is the Sweedish equivalent of Smith in North America; so really, who cares!
And if you really need a soother to suck on: just pronounce Paajarvi and Hartikianen with an Irish accent.
Wonder where that Hesketh kid is, the D from Minnesota?
Good call.
I let JDD drop the one D. I probably won't be able to name him in 10 years* But MPS is gonna be a star!
*Of course I will. I love OILERZ
If the Oilers wanted to sign Schaber could they do so? Or does he need to go back into the draft?
I'm super pumped about the prospect tourney....
For all you Oil Fans thinking about coming to Penticton to watch....there are more Oilers fans in the Okanagan than Nucks fans. Come down to the SOEC and wear your colours proudly.
Word has it, the owner of Slack Alice's is loyal to the oil and might by you a draft.
Ducey: I believe he is still eligible for the 2011 draft (he turns 20 January 3 of next year).
Wanye: It isn't me, its this crazy typewriter. :-)
-13 in 28 games after the trade...not really encouraging considering he was also less than 1p/g.
it will be interesting to see how he performs. any word on what happened to Stepan Novotny?
Saw the Omark omission coming, but I was hoping he'd be there anyway. It's such a great way to get these players on a roll before the real test at training camp starts, much better than 3 days of scrimmage in some backwoods community up north.
The Canucks snuck Sergei Shirokov, who had over 200+ games in the RSL and KHL before coming over into the Camrose tourney last year... but I guess they needed a "name" in that group more than the Oilers do with Hall, Eberle and Paajarvi.
I know Taylor Hall is getting a tonne of recognition and whatnot for going #1 overall, yada yada yada... But in my mind the rookie that will stand out this year is Eberle.
WHL and CHL player of the year, aftering saving his countries ass 2 years in a row at the World Juniors (I know they eventually lost in OT this past year-but he scored twice late in the 3rd to get them there) yet he seems to be named AFTER Hall. I don't need to mention that Hall played on a powerhouse team in Windsor, whereas Jordan played with the Pats who missed the playoffs finishing 17th out of 22 teams in the entire Dub. (Guess I just did aferall)
I really hope this nightmare that keeps spinning around my head doesn't come true. But I really hope Hall can learn to keep his head up and NOT get crushed by NHL defenseman because unlike the juniors, these are men.
LoweTide, I have been reading your site for a long while now. You are my first stop every morning. But i do have to say you suprized my with your comments on Jordan Eberle in your prediction on Lowetide. I dont mind the fact you put his stats low. (I think your wrong but thats just my opinion.) But to claim he is more famous than his talent??? I have been following him for the past two years. and i just think he may have you eating crow, with all respect.
Chase Schaber is a late bloomer who could be a third line centre with some 'crust'. As he is 19 and has gone through two drafts he might be able to be signed. Here is an youtube hightlights from the blazers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILwvEDgrn0A
AlwaysOil: Yeah, it looks like there was some reaction to that comment.
One of the things "reasonable expectations" tries to do is take all of the bias we may have about a player out of the conversation. Park it, sort of.
Now I totally agree Eberle has been performing at a much higher level than an average 22OV pick, but that wasn't my point.
My point was that Eberle is more famous than his draft day number warrants and that he doesn't possess the kind of elite level skills one associates with a lottery pick (and he is as famous as the lottery picks in his season). I don't think anyone can dispute that, even if we agree that a re-draft would see him go much higher (and I think he would go higher).
Jordan Eberle is more famous than he deserves to be based on his draft number and scouting report. I don't really see a good argument against that statement.
Cru Jones wrote:
Well, it's not absolute, but . . .
Robin Brownlee wrote:
Combine this with the fact that Hall wore #19 at rookie camp last month, and I'd say you could make a pretty logical guess that POS won't strenuously object if Hall skates with his number this season.
What impresses me is the fact that only Eberle is the only player listed under six feet... Asides from Eberle, MPS and Hall, are there any other prospects that have a legitimate shot at making main camp?? Petry?? Pitlick??
Using just draft day and scouting report to try to find an argument against your reasonable expectations i would agree i can not make my point. My point is that as an oiler fan i like to do every thing i can to get a feel for these guys before we draft them and after. The last 2 years watching him play in the WHL, World Juniors, World championship, and Preseason last year, I have come to have a great deal of respect for the vison he has for the game. As well as his drive to get to the right spot to score. Yes, i am bias because he has grown on me. The biggest thing for me is that I read your blog daily." I check for updates 3-4 times a day. lol" And I had no idea that you thought he was that over rated. I beleive he could well turn in to one of the better picks from this draft.( yes i know, Myers, stamkos, doughty, schenn were all in this draft.) I could see him being that good if he stays injury free. That would be why I am not a scout I guess. :)
Plante will in all likelyhood be in main camp , and stands a good chance to make club . As a side note , i believe Souray and club will patch things up . It's looking pretty good he will be playing for Oilers this season (as per recent column in NHL.com site ).
With Souray back in thats gives us a very respectable and physically stronger backend to protect net area and forwards . Plante , Belle and Peckham will fight it out for 7-8 th defenceman position as i see it with Souray back in .
Hartikainen will be fighting the likes of Giroux , Reddox , Cornet, Jacques , Jones , etc. for a spot , but i like his chances of getting a shot with main club none the less .
Like the idea of a speedy defensive minded Horcoff centering the high flying Swedes Svensson and Omark . Also like line combo of Penner, Hall(as a center ) and Hemsky .
After checking over our divisional rivalries i don't see anything to suggest they are physically stronger than last year . Only Minny appears to have added any team toughness, even after getting rid of Boogaart . Focus on just running GAGS, Cogs and Brule to stymie our offence should not happen, or be as effective as it was last couple of seasons amonst our division rivalries . Offence will be spreadout better for Oilers this season .
Always Oil: Ah, but there's the catch. I agree Eberle has done some amazing things and we should be excited about him. Remember, "reasonable expectations" are just that: a line in the sand that makes sense.
If Eberle were the only skill rookie up front trying to break down the door this fall, he'd have better numbers. But he isn't, and everyone's numbers were nicked accordingly.
Pretty picky for someone who can't even spell Wayne right...
(...not to be confused with Wainwright, where Glen Sather learned to play hockey!)
Lowetide:
Somewhere along the way, you must have done a comparable at one time of Gretzky coming into the league based on scouting report "skills". We remember what they used to say about him.
Skating: average (at best)
Shot: average (at best)
Passing: exceptional
Toughness: what, is that a joke?
Hockey sense: exceptional
I feel I have to remind people that Eberle isn't Gretzky, blah, blah, blah. Still, some players have a knack for elevating their results beyond what one would expect from their physical tools. So far Eberle has delivered that. We do have to concede that the roster turnover may mean that some of these prospects don't get as much gravy as they might have at other places and times, so it will likely balance out in the end.
Actually, most of us here realize that you're the one who's spelling Wanye wrong.
:-)
Lets say Eberle has a touch of the Zetterberg factor. Not a lotto pick but talent level a slight bit higher than where they we drafted. Of course if i am wrong I will look like a DONKEY. But i can take it.
http://www.google.com/search?q=Wanye&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=&rlz=
(not all of us have followed this site forever and know all the inside jokes, sorry "squeee")
@Ender
So now I'm that much closer to discovering Taylor Hall's email address!
SQUEE
This is very well played.
Only time will tell on Eberle but i do see the points you have made. Heres hoping all the rookies kick out the jams and make all of our projections look silly. lol GO OIL
I have set the bar at 310 GF - slightly over the 1 goal a game level of last season . Yes, i believe we have that potential !
@madjam
You might be right about Plante at camp, but I do think his foot speed is still a bit too slow to make the team. I think Strudwick is probably your 7th D, and yes, I think Souray will be in our line up this year as well... If Souray does get dealt (which I doubt), then Peckham is your #7.
What sells you on Hartikainen?? He's a 6th round draft pick and hasn't really done much in the Finnish league. I must admit that I've never seen him play, but his size does sound appealing...
Not sure I'm sold on Omark with Horcoff, but I think he'd (Horcoff) definitely be a good fit with MPS.
With your suggestion about Hall-Penner-Hemsky - Hall would be a better winger on the left side. Maybe Penner as your center, even though he's a bit too slow?? Gagner would probably be a better fit on that line too...
I'm surprised that Lander didn't get an invite to the tourney. He has shown very well in a tough league at a young age and on the Swedish National teams. I wonder why they would not have invited him?
@D-Man
Hartikainen another tough playing Finn with size and speed , not a softy . Has progressed to show he can play and handle tough minutes offensively and defensively where required at a respectfull level . Can he do the same at NHL level - perhaps . Not quite a Tikkanen , nor a pest like RUUTU as yet - somewhere in between . Defensively accountable when i've seen him with some offensive punch . I agree Struds will be at least seventh D and probably 13 or 14 the forward as well (dual purpose).
Gagner might be a better fit with Fraser and Cogliano / Brule combination . Giroux , despite age, might prove very strong offensively wise on any line . Fourth line up for grabs with many different scenarios dependng on the opposition .
Do we really require Comrie or Pisani back ? I doubt either will do much to improve an already pretty impressive youth movement . Omark to me looks like the real deal and may be pushi9ng for Calder by seasons end as one other on Oilers nation had alluded to . I remember when Oilers first drafted him and wondered why some scouts said he was already NHL ready back then . Three years later and i see what they saw in him . I am also high on Omark despite his size .
Benhur: I think part of it might be that the SEL training camps begin earlier. Also, Lander did come over for the Summer Camp right after draft day. He impressed a lot of people from what I understand, but decided to go back for another year in Sweden.
Sorry again , forgot to put Eberle in with Gagner mix . Looking a lot like we could have 4 sets of offensive lines , not just three .