When the Oilers drafted Connor Clattenburg, I have to admit I was surprised.

Clattenburg had just finished his second draft-eligible year and his results hadn’t been all that noticeable in those two years. He had 10 points in his first draft-eligible season and was a half-point per game player the year the Oilers took him.

What he could do was play a very physical brand of hockey using his 6’2″ and 210-pound frame. His 194 minutes of penalties in his 116 games were an easy tell.

So I wondered why would the Oilers spend draft capital on this young man when they could have signed him as a UFA down the road. Clearly, the Oiler scouting staff had spotted something in Clattenburg that made them not want to wait past the 5th round of the 2024 NHL draft.

How has Clattenburg rewarded the Oilers’ faith in him to date? Pretty darn well.

Clattenburg has 27 points in 37 games and is only two points behind his season-high total of 29 points. He has increased his shot totals from 1.75 shots per game to 2.3. He’s done all this while maintaining his feisty style of play racking up 91 penalty minutes in those 37 games which includes a couple of suspensions along the way.

When I watch Clattenburg, I get this old-man moment of thinking that I am watching Kelly Buchberger of Oilers fame. He of the 1182 NHL games with 2297 minutes in penalties. That’s high praise, no question, and it is way too early to make a prediction of this type of success. However, when I watch him play, I see a lot of Buchberger in his game. This week was a good sample of that style of play.

More on Clattenburg, Bakersfield rumblings, along with prospect news and notes below in the Oilers Prospect Report.

There is an old sports saying about players that opposing fans hate and it goes something like “we would love him on our team”. That’s Clattenburg for certain. He is an absolute wrecking ball on the ice and it tends to drive the opposition and their fans crazy. This week was no exception. Here is a clip that happens a couple of times a month when Clattenburg plays. Eventually, after absorbing hit after hit after slash after cross-check, an opponent finally loses their patience.

While this was not a great example, unfortunately for most opponents, they find out fast that Clattenburg is pretty good at this part of the game. To be candid, this is what I expected from Clattenburg all season.

However, the Oiler scouts saw something more and it has certainly blossomed this year. Clattenburg is a big body, but he skates very well. Not for his size. He skates very well, period. He’s alternated between center and wing, but I think as a professional, he will play wing because look at what he can do when he’s on the flank.

Clattenburg’s size and speed combination make him very hard to stop when gets the puck in flight.

He also has a sneaky wrist shot. The release needs work in terms of quickness, but it is accurate and comes off his stick very heavy.

What has really opened my eyes this year about Clattenburg is his offensive ability. Watch Clattenburg create this goal in its entirety using his feet and puck skills. He’s such a big man and when he gets going, you can see the challenge defenders have in stopping him. He makes this rush at least once a game and often it is multiple forays attacking the opposition.

All of these clips remind me of Kelly Buchberger. Now let’s be clear, it takes a very special player to make the NHL and an even more special one to play over 1000 games. Clattenburg has a lot of work ahead of him. However, he has some tools that make this a very interesting bet by the Oilers.

There is one thing I am certain of with James Hamblin. He has never played better hockey since being signed by the Oilers. He’s up to 20 points in 21 games on a season which was interrupted by a tough lower-body injury. This week he was the dominant Bakersfield Condor. Hamblin had three goals and two assists in two games and a whopping 13 shots on net. He is the Condors first line center. He plays on the powerplay and the penalty kill and is out late in games whether the team is up or down. Here are a couple of clips that illustrate how Hamblin’s speed and motor were very effective all over the ice.

The second clip is a personal favorite because it shows just how good a 200 foot player Hamblin can be.

The key change this year however has been the offence. He is up to almost a point per game after being around a half-point-per-game player through most of his professional career. He has always had very good hands as illustrated by this clip.

Hamblin is making a very strong case for additional NHL games. His strength and balance will always be the question, but if he has improved both, there is an NHL fourth-line energy player with the ability to kill penalties and score just enough to make it interesting.

One of the most notable developments for Savoie’s NHL chances might have been created by the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. Kris Knoblauch decided to go with a very strong center line-up the last couple of games having McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins and Henrique all center their own lines.

This had the knock-on effect of weakening the wing position of the team. However, this is a development that could open a door for Savoie. Each center is very responsible defensively and in those slots (1C, 2C, 3C and 4C) has the ability to push the river against the opposition. What each of them needs is more scoring on the wings. No question the Oilers will likely add from the trade market to help the wings, but Matthew Savoie is also right there. Savoie’s been highlighted here for his offensive play and his defensive play. Both of which would be a requirement for a call-up. Watch this play and tell me if you an NHL coach would appreciate the work here.

Savoie’s desire to be impactful in the defensive zone has been excellent all season. He never gives up on plays. This type of backtrack and understanding of how to manage the defensive zone will be noticed.

What will also be noticed will be his ability to win puck battles along the wall. Savoie has a low center of gravity that helps, but his footwork and understanding of leverage are very helpful as well.

The end result of this work was this great goal by James Hamblin.

Whether Savoie sees NHL games this season will be interesting. No question, he probably gets late-season games if the standings are decided. The real dilemma will be whether he sees these games when the Oilers are in the midst of a playoff standings battle.

O’Reilly had another tidy two games this week. He had three assists this week and continued to show some very good passing capability on the attack.

I really love this play because O’Reilly wins a wall battle and then has the presence of mind to reverse the puck and make a great outlet to the slot for a high danger goal.

O’Reilly is up to a point per game on the season and should easily surpass his point totals from last season. This selection by the Oilers has really paid dividends early on and O’Reilly has a chance to be an integral part of the organization as a right-shot center with a defensive acumen. What’s helping his cause even more is his offence.

The 7th rounder has found his game again after a shoulder injury held him out for a couple of games after Christmas. He’s back to averaging close to a point per game after going scoreless for a few games after the break. This week he showed that motor which makes it very hard to defend in the offensive zone.

Nicholl has been moved to the wing the last game or so and a little further down the line-up. Nothing wrong with that so long as the results keep coming and so far they are.

This man’s KHL contract expires at season’s end. Maxim Beryozkin needs a look somewhere. Given his offensive skill, the fact he’s a winger and his size, somebody needs to give him a try. Unlike many Russian KHL players, Beryozkin loves to play inside and physically. Watch this goal here.

Whether the Oilers can get him over, I don’t know. What they should be doing is trying everything they can to do so.

Another big scoring winger the Oilers should be trying to sign is Shane Lachance. Look at the hands on this Pat Maroon style of player.

He’s still a sophomore, but he has proven that there is a legitimate NHL prospect here. The Oilers and American collegiate players have a rocky past. Hopefully, Stan Bowman can remedy that because this is a player who is typecast for the Oilers down the road.

Noah Philp returned to the AHL last night with vengeance. He had seven shots on the net with one post and one goal. Philp needs to play like this clip when he returns to the NHL. He needs to worry less about making mistakes and more about making plays. His 200-foot game is plenty strong enough for NHL games.

On the injury front, Roby Jarventie and Max Wanner remain out of the lineup. Jarventie has only played two games this season and while there was some indication he would play late in January, he has yet to return. Wanner remains out with a head injury after taking a shot to the back of the head. He has missed 21 games to date.

That’s it for this week’s Oilers Prospect Report. Enjoy the 4 Nations everyone and see you around the rink.