Edmonton Oilers have interesting prospect in son of former first overall pick
The Edmonton Oilers made an interesting bet with the signing of James Stefan in March, and fans should have an eye on him to take a big step this season.
The Oilers signed Stefan after an incredibly successful season with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks, scoring 50 goals and 101 points in only 67 games. He was 20 years old, which means he's now ineligible to return to the WHL, and will likely join the Bakersfield Condors next season.
According to reports from prospect expert Bruce Curlock of OilersNation, Stefan is a decent bet to become an NHL player. He has obvious offensive talent, with a plus rated shot and elite offensive awareness. What he needs to work on most is his skating and defensive engagement. Within the Oilers development organization, those should be areas Stefan can improve in. A similar signing may be James Hamblin, who also joined as an overage junior signing. Hamblin has cracked the NHL roster already, and could probably be a regular player on a worse team than Edmonton.
Of course, James Stefan is also the son of former first overall draft pick Patrik Stefan. The older Stefan was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999, but never lived up to expectations with his career best season only scoring 14 goals. After 455 NHL games, Patrik Stefan left the NHL to briefly play in the Swiss Elite League. His father could definitely give him some hockey talent, and advice that learned from his mistakes in the NHL.
Anytime a prospect puts up a 100 point season, it'll catch the attention of any fan in the organization - and especially with James' connection to his father. It's important to understand he produced these high point totals as an overage player, but he undeniably has talent that the Oilers are willing to take a chance on. Now that he can't return to Junior, it'll be interesting to watch Stefan develop on the Bakersfield Condors next year.
Source for Stefan Scouting Report:
A deep dive into James Stefan, the newest Edmonton Oilers prospect
| POLL | ||
Do you think James Stefan will become an NHL player? | ||
| Yes | 18 | 23.1 % |
| No | 25 | 32.1 % |
| Too soon to tell | 31 | 39.7 % |
| See Results | 4 | 5.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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