Edmonton Oilers select LW Connor Clattenburg 160th overall at the NHL Draft

The Edmonton Oilers have drafted left-winger Connor Clattenburg 16oth overall at the 2024 NHL Draft on Saturday.

Standing at 6’2, 198 lbs., Clattenburg, 19, spent last season splitting time between the Ontario Hockey League’s Soo Greyhounds, finishing his season with the Flint Firebirds. He appeared in 60 games between the two clubs, scoring 13 goals and 29 points. He also racked up 79 PIMs this season, dropping the gloves four times, according to Hockey Fights.

His offensive output isn’t much, but it is a noticeable jump from his rookie season with the Greyhounds, where in 2022-23 he scored two goals and 10 points in 56 games, adding 115 PIM throughout the season.

Clattenburg was invited to last year’s rookie development camp by the Ottawa Senators, but there’s little information about him as a prospect available. He didn’t register in Elite Prospects draft guide this year, nor on Daily Faceoff’s Steve Ellis’ rankings.

Ellis, however, took to Twitter to describe Clattenburg as a player who “makes it his mission to it everyone in his path.”

At the time he was acquired by the Firebirds in January of this year, their head scout Mike Oliverio described Clattenburgh, and the other player they acquired at the time, Alex Kostov, as players they expected in their lineup for “the next couple of years.”

“These are two prototypical power forwards, big bodies that will help add depth to our lineup immediately,” Oliverio said. “Both Kostov and Clattenburg have great size and compete level and as younger players, they have the opportunity to be a part of our lineup for the next couple of years.”

The pick certainly seems to be off the board and the Oilers must value the size and physicality that he brings. Still, this feels like a player the team could’ve drafted later in the draft, given the lack of information available.

It’s not often that low-scoring overage draft picks amount to much, so it will be curious to see how Clattenburg continues to develop in the OHL.

Earlier Saturday, the Oilers drafted Finnish goaltender Eemil Vinni 64th overall. On Friday, they traded up into the first round of the draft to select Sam O’Reilly.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.