The right side of any NHL defence is a key position in terms of team success and it’s also one of the hardest positions to fill in the NHL. So, teams will often prioritize right-shot defence over most other skater positions regarding drafting. The Edmonton Oilers are no different than any other organization. The team has struck gold with the drafting and development of Evan Bouchard in this role and have had very unique success in drafting right shot defencemen later in the draft, returning dividends.

Vinny Desharnais, who sailed west this past off-season, is the most obvious example. However, Michael Kesselring, now a fixture as an NHL defenceman, was traded to acquire Nick Bjugstad for the playoff run two years ago. This brings us to the next late-round big, right-shot defenceman who is turning heads in the Oilers organization: Maximus Wanner.

Wanner’s climb up the Oilers ranks has been stunning. He started out as a seventh-round pick of the Oilers in 2021, then proceeded to have two excellent years in Moose Jaw of the WHL, finishing his final season on the first pairing with Denton Mateychuk, where he played first PK minutes and running the second powerplay. Wanner did not stop there when he entered professional hockey last fall. In his 68 games, he went 7-10—17 and an excellent plus 13. The plus 13 was good for a tie for first on the Bakersfield Condors. Among all rookie defencemen in the AHL, that number was good for tenth overall. He did this almost all as a 20-year-old in a big man’s league.

What does Wanner bring to the game? Well, a lot. What defines him is the man is a cycle breaker at the highest level. He uses his size combined with a sneaky quick first step to pressure puck carriers and create transition chances. He also has a very good passing game in tight, which makes him even more effective.

Watch this clip here in which Wanner twice separates players from the puck using all of his physical tools. Then uses his really good passing vision to get the the puck to a teammate.

He also has above-average footwork to be able to defend in space. Here is a nice example of his transition skating skills. He finishes the play using his length and physicality.

Oh, and the other part of his defensive game that impresses me is his desire to make players pay the price for trying to attack his zone. Some people talk about Vinny Desharnais’s ability to be physical as a real benefit to the Edmonton Oilers and while I think that is a fair statement, it was done more with his stick and net front scrums. Wanner has that edge, but he also has the skating ability to close on players and finish them with ill intent hits. Watch this video for example.

There is no question Wanner’s reputation started to make its way around the AHL. Watch this clip from a game against the Coachella Valley team late last season. First, look at the angst Wanner shows to a Firebird player trying to get at his goalie. Then once he clears that player out, notice the lack of enthusiasm for the remaining Firebirds to engage Wanner.

Now, it’s not that Wanner doesn’t have offensive skills. I would argue that he has become such a prized prospect because of the development of this side of his game. His 17 points last year were good for 18th in point totals amongst rookie defencemen in the AHL. These totals may seem modest, but given his calling card is defence and his age, there is room to grow here. The part of his offensive game that first caught my eye was his retrieval and exit skills.

Watch this play he makes on a retrieval. He makes a very nice transition turn to chase the puck immediately. Then, watch the two quick scans to see the forecheck. He reads the opposition attack as too deep and rims the puck to his winger up the wall.

He also really started to gain confidence in attacking up the ice with his forwards.

Here is another example where Wanner’s aim was a little more true.

Finally, the big man started to put it all together and had the confidence to take initiative with the puck and try to create plays for him and his teammates.

Wanner will likely play top-pairing minutes on the right side for the coming season.  He needs to continue to improve his skating. It isn’t bad, but there is some mechanical adjustments that could be made to it to allow for a more economic stride. His defensive prowess and penalty-kill ability are well-established. If Wanner can take the next step offensively, the Oilers almost certainly have another right-shot defenceman who will find a home in the NHL.