It was a quiet Friday and a busy Saturday at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft for the Edmonton Oilers.
With no picks in the first round, they were saved from having to do any awkward video calls, unlike the other 20 teams who did pick on Friday.
Saturday was where the magic happened for the Oilers, using five picks to select three forwards, a defenceman and a goaltender, hoping that they could find a diamond in the rough.

EDMONTON’S SELECTIONS

The Oilers on paper, appear to have had a solid, yet unspectacular draft. Without first and second round picks, they had to wait well into the third round, choosing to not trade up like they did last year to draft Sam O’Reilly 32nd overall.
This year, though, they still did trade up, moving up into the early fifth round to select defenceman Asher Barnett 131st overall.
Here’s a look at how the experts graded the Oilers selections.

Daily Faceoff — C+

I’m not convinced any of their top three picks will become NHLers. Lafreniere is an intriguing player that felt like he flew under the radar. Lewandowski is good away from the puck, making him useful when he isn’t scoring. Barnett had a great end to the season with the USNTDP and I’m excited to see how college treats him. — Steven Ellis

The Athletic — C

Edmonton didn’t have a selection until the 83rd spot, so it’s understandable this isn’t an overly impressive draft class. The Oilers’ picks of Tommy Lafreniere, David Lewandowski and Asher Barnett are all fine prospects. I don’t think any of them are realistic NHL players, though, even if I do have some time for where they got Lewandowski. — Corey Pronman

FloHockey — C

Despite not having a pick until No. 83, I thought the Oilers did well. Tommy Lafreniere, David Lewandowski and Aidan Park were all players on my top 100 and Edmonton got them at 83, 117 and 223, respectively. I also think Asher Barnett, who they picked at No. 131, is a solid mid-round guy. The Oilers aren’t going to be able to really pump up their prospect pool in the position their in, but I thought they at least added some depth to their group with some guys that at least have a chance down the road. — Chris Peters

The Score — D

Lafreniere is a competitor who scored a fair amount with Kamloops, and Lewandowski has some intriguing potential as he fills out his frame. It was great to see Park selected with the penultimate pick after he went to L.A. for the draft. He had a productive year in the USHL. But overall, it’s a small draft class with minimal upside. — Kyle Cushman
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.
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