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Oilers prospect Asher Barnett projected to USA World Junior roster

Photo credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

By Zach Laing

Aug 4, 2026, 14:00 EDT

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It’s been nothing short of a steady climb for Asher Barnett in terms of his development as a young player.

Selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the fifth round of the 2026 draft after the team traded up, the left-shot defenceman went to the NCAA’s University of Michigan last season, scoring five goals and 18 points in 40 games. He drew in for five games for the USA’s World Junior, and while he didn’t score any points, he performed well enough to turn heads.

So much so that when Daily Faceoff‘s NHL prospect guru Steven Ellis projected his 2027 USA team, he saw Barnett returning, calling Barnett “a defensively reliable option who probably won’t push the needle with the puck, but won’t make many mistakes.”

Ellis has Barnett as the ninth-best prospect in the Oilers’ system during his prospect pool breakdown, where he elaborated on the defenceman’s game:

“Barnett was a surprise addition to USA’s World Juniors team in 2026, but they clearly like him, having made him captain of the U-18 team the year prior. Barnett is decent with the puck, but he’s more known for being quite physical despite not being that huge. I prefer his own-zone game to the O-zone, and I feel like he’s quite strong off the puck for someone his age. Most defenders look to make smart, sharp moves with the puck, but Barnett prefers to keep things simple. Will he max out as an NHL call-up? That’s probably all he’ll be, and that’s fine.”

If the Oilers are one day able to get NHL games out of Barnett, that’s a win. Fans know all too well that late-round draft picks are by and large dart throws, but sometimes they hit and become guys like Vincent Desharnais, who wound up playing 114 games for the Oilers in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Desharnais ended up an important piece on the Oilers’ blue line in the 2024 playoffs, playing 16 games, and if Barnett could contribute like that down the road, the team will surely be happy.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor and The Nation Network’s news director. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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