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Oilers pick Andrew Robinson ready for feature role with Windsor Spitfires

Edmonton Oilers prospect Andrew Robinson

Photo credit: Steven Ellis/The Nation Network

By Lane Golden

Jul 24, 2026, 11:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 24, 2026, 01:28 EDT

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Players don’t always develop in a linear path. Sometimes they experience brief setbacks, and sometimes they level up rapidly. Perhaps no prospect in the recent Edmonton Oilers’ draft class understands that better than Andrew Robinson, whom the team selected 133rd overall in the 2026 Draft.

Robinson began his first campaign in the OHL this past year with the Windsor Spitfires. The left-handed defenceman got off to a slow start, producing four assists in his first 27 games, with a plus-minus of plus-4.

“I think the biggest thing for me at the beginning of the year was just getting to know the league a bit,” Robinson told OilersTV’s Tony Brar at development camp this summer. “It was a bit of a slow start, slower than I definitely wanted it to be, and I used the Christmas break as a bit of a reset.

“I went home for a week, had Christmas with my family, had a great time there, and then came back more dialled in, more ready to go than ever.”

After that Christmas break, Robinson’s confidence grew, and he thrived at both ends of the ice. In the final 36 games of the season, he scored nine goals and produced 20 points while being a plus-32.

It wasn’t just a shift in mindset that fueled Robinson’s rise. His commitment to extra work played an equally important role.

“I was doing a ton of video with the coaching staff, getting on the ice before practice, leaving after everyone’s gone, getting those extra reps in, and I think that really helped my development throughout the second half of the season,” he said.

Andrew Robinson’s defence-first mindset

Robinson’s recent uptick in offence may have been a surprise, but his defensive ability was always there. When the opposition scores, it genuinely bothers him.

“That’s something I take a ton of pride in,” said Robinson. “It’s always something that I talk about where we could win a game, and if I’m on for a goal, I’m still pissed off. I know I should contribute offensively, and I do, but I’m a defenceman. I’ve got to make sure that goals don’t go in when I’m on the ice.”

His commitment to defence and newfound two-way ability caught the Oilers’ attention. By trading down in the second round, they were able to add a fifth-round pick, which they used to select Robinson.

“We really like his feet, we like his length in terms of stick, we like his 190-pound frame, and if the second half is an indication of where the offensive potential is, we believe in it,” said Oilers director of Amateur Scouting, Rick Pracey.

“He’s going to play another year in Windsor, and then eventually end up in the NCAA. As of right now, it’s Providence. We like the path.”

What lies ahead for Andrew Robinson in Windsor?

The Oilers believe Robinson’s best hockey is ahead of him, and he is determined to reward that belief.

“It’s so cool to be here,” said Robinson. “Just kind of taking it all in, showing them the kind of person I am, making sure everyone gets to know me a little bit. And then obviously when we get on the ice, show them the player I can be.”

Next season, the Spitfires will experience a severe turnover and Robinson’s rise up the depth chart in the second half of last season is a sign of things to come.

Alongside fellow Oilers draft pick Caden Harvey, they should both get plenty of opportunities playing a feature role, providing a whole new challenge for Robinson as a key player on a young team.

“We had a lot of guys move on this year, so just taking on more of a leadership role, being a guy that eats up a good amount of minutes, power play, penalty kill, earning my role on that team and earning my role as a leader. That’d be the biggest thing for me.”

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