Oilers training camp invitee, son of former NHLer, getting interest from multiple scouts

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Liam McCormick
September 15, 2024 (1:58 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers have invited 18 year old undrafted defenceman Nate Corbet to training camp this year, and now he's earning some interest from NHL scouts.

Corbet has made an impression at camp with his physical play and willingness to take on players much older than him. According to Oilers insider Bob Stauffer, scouts across the league are beginning to take notice of Corbet.

»On back-to-back nights the Edmonton Oilers Rookies' Nate Corbet, son of Rene Corbet...an 18-year old (Medicine Hat/WHL) has squared up and fought a pair of tough 21-year old's and held his own!
Corbet has made some noise here-with over 15 NHL teams having pro scouts in Penticton»
- Bob Stauffer

In the early moments of the first rookie tournament game, Nate Corbet went out to prove that he could hang in a fight with anyone. He took one Joe Arntsen on the Canucks rookies, who has over 200 more Junior games played than Corbet.

Nate is the son of former NHLer Rene Corbet, who played 362 games between 1993 and 2001 with the Nordiques, Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and Pittsburgh Penguins. It's certainly an asset that he has his father to lean on with his experience in pro hockey, and it could lend a hand for Nate to carve out a long and difficult path to the NHL.

Nate Corbet played 51 games with the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers, and only registered 5 points last season. He's 6 feet and two inches tall already at 18 years old though, and as sports scouts have said for decades - you can't teach size.

It's an interesting story to see an unlikely Oilers camp invitee garner significant interest from NHL scouts. If Edmonton is interested in bringing in a physical presence to the AHL in the next few years and a player with an outside shot to make the NHL, they may be looking to take him in next year's draft.

Source for Nate Corbet Stats: HockeyDB - Nate Corbet