It was once again a successful weekend for Oilers prospects playing in North America. Paul Fischer stays hot with five points in four games, and the same can be said for Tommy Lafreniere, who is on a four-game goal-scoring streak. The Michigan Wolverines, featuring Aidan Park and Asher Barnett, are off to a 6-0 start for the first time since 1979.

There’s a lot of good stuff to talk about from the weekend, so let’s jump right in.

The Notre Dame workhorse is sitting at over a point per game with his five points in four games, and from this weekend alone, it feels like Fischer could have more. Notre Dame played a back-to-back at home against St. Lawrence University and handled them swiftly, winning the first game 8-2 and shutting them out 3-0 in the second. It seemed like Fischer was trying to make a highlight reel with his play this weekend, as he constantly made the opposition look a tier below him.

Below is a clip of the left-shot’s goal in the second game, where Fischer went end-to-end with both teams down a man.

Excellent job sticking with the play and kicking the puck back to his stick through the defender. Then, of course, the finish is spectacular, especially for a defenceman. This wasn’t a one-time occurrence for the offensive-minded defenceman, as Fischer was allowed to do whatever he wanted on the ice at times. The next clip is from the first game of the weekend, where he skates through the entire team again, puts an excellent move on the last defender, but Fischer’s shot doesn’t find the back of the net.

Even in a set offensive zone, Fischer is showing the ability to create offence by making players miss. Skating right at your defender’s feet provides an advantage, as it allows you to dictate where play goes next, and more often than not, you have the speed advantage. The 2023 fifth-rounder shows off this skill in our next clip below, skating right at the defender’s feet, faking inside, shifting outside, and trying for the pass backdoor.

To go with his end-to-end goal this weekend, Fischer also added two primary assists on the power play, with the second being a great no-look feed cross-ice for a one-timer.

Paul Fischer continues to impress with the offensive tendencies he’s showing. If the American-born defenceman can continue to refine his offensive skills and turn up the pace a bit, I like the potential he brings as a puck mover. Next weekend, Notre Dame goes up against Robert Morris University, which just got handed back-to-back losses by Michigan. Fischer should continue to shine in that game — the next step is doing all this against tougher competition and eventually professional competition down the road.

Aidan Park and Asher Barnett have helped the Michigan Wolverines to their first 6-0 start since the 1979 season. As mentioned earlier, Michigan handed Robert Morris University a 4-2 loss on Thursday and followed it up with a 10-2 smackdown on Friday. On Thursday, Asher Barnett picked up a secondary assist on an empty-net goal for his only point of the weekend. Aidan Park had three points on the ten goals scored during Friday’s statement win.

Both players are still depth options at this point for Michigan, with Barnett playing on the penalty kill and Park getting some secondary power-play time. Park has a knack for being in the right spot at the right time. He knows where his teammates want him. In the first clip below, Park scores a goal Zach Hyman would be proud of, sitting behind everyone on the back post and acting as a backboard for his teammate.

It sometimes looks a little sloppy or unconventional, but the 2025 seventh-rounder is able to connect on some excellent passes, and his second assist of the weekend showed the underlying skill he possesses. In the next clip below, on a 2-on-1, Park fakes a shot and passes it across for a one-time goal.

It’s hard to say anything but praise for the two Michigan Wolverines in the Oilers pipeline. They’ve done nothing but dominate the competition put in front of them to start the season. If I were to nitpick, I haven’t noticed any substantial progress in Asher Barnett’s offensive game — he seems unsure of what to do with the puck on his stick sometimes — and Aidan Park’s skating does limit what he can do on the ice at the moment. This upcoming Thursday and Friday, they’ll face No. 2-ranked Western Michigan, where they’ll be truly tested for the first time this season.

The 2025 third-round selection has been on a tear as of late. In his past four games, Tommy Lafrenière has six goals and seven points and is now up to 42 shots in ten games. Lately, Lafrenière has been hopping between wing and centre, and from the second line to the first depending on the game, but what has remained consistent is his quick release and ability to score from anywhere in the offensive zone. Even on this scoring streak, the Blazers forward remains committed to the defensive side of the puck despite what his plus/minus might say. Below are two clips of his goals from the weekend, showcasing the speed, power, and placement Lafrenière has with his shot.

The hard-working Blazer put both those shots in excellent places, but that second goal is a piece of art — shot in stride with no tell at all, and Lafrenière puts it in the perfect spot. If you were watching the games, you could tell the goals were coming. With the sheer volume and quality of shots he was getting, there was no way he wasn’t due for a run. An excellent stretch for Edmonton’s first selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The Saskatoon Blades import is now up to five goals and 15 points in ten games played, which has Lewandowski tied for eighth in the WHL. Unlike Lafrenière, Lewandowski is a pass-first player with the ability to shoot when he needs to (though I wish he did it more), as he’s only at 22 shots on the year. The big German has a great shot when he chooses to use it, and he did just that to tie up the game in the third period against the Edmonton Oil Kings for his only goal of the weekend, as you’ll see below.

Lewandowski takes the ice that the Oil Kings give him and makes them pay. Great job playing in the blind spot of Parker Alcos (Oil Kings No. 6) and creating the turnover that led to his game-tying goal. But what gets a nerd like me excited aren’t just the beautiful goals — it’s the little tendencies and fundamentals that come with the game, and Lewandowski executes those to perfection. Below is a clip of him creating contact, valuing position over possession, and leading a breakout.

Get any extra ice you can because there isn’t a lot to be shared out there. A great clip to show any hockey player, regardless of position, how to gain extra space in puck battles. The Saskatoon Blades are currently first in the Eastern Conference, and David Lewandowski is their leading scorer — that’s about as good a start to the season as we could ask for.

That’s it for the weekly North American prospect update. It was an excellent weekend for a lot of players in the pipeline, with Paul Fischer and Tommy Lafreniere leading the way on their point streaks. Progression isn’t linear, and there will be some downs, but right now, you couldn’t have asked for a better start from the Oilers prospects playing in the NCAA and CHL.