Major Issues Arise for The Organization As The 2023 Draft Arrives
In 2015, the Edmonton Oilers chose Connor McDavid as their first overall pick from the Eerie Otters. Before McDavid arrived, the team lacked a top-tier center, but he has since become the face of the franchise.
Tyler Wright, the director of player personnel and amateur scouting, is responsible for identifying new talent.
The Oilers have used draft picks on OHL players just once since Tyler Wright arrived as director of amateur scouting. Is there a reason? Is it because, as general manager Ken Holland stated recently, the Oilers have no OHL area scout?
It seems logical that the Oilers would use or hire their own talent to scout the league, given that Wayne Gretzky, Connor McDavid, and Taylor Hall all came from the OHL.
However, as the 2023 season approaches, it appears that Tyler Wright has not corrected course, which could be detrimental to the team's prospect pipeline.
Prior to Ken Holland's tenure, the Oilers had a 45% success rate with 11 picks, five of which were from the OHL. Notable players like Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, Ryan McLeod, Dmitri Samorukov, and Markus Niemelainen were all drafted from the league.
However, over the past three drafts, the team has avoided the OHL. With multiple eyes on talent in the league, it's time for Ken Holland and Tyler Wright to make a course correction and consider prospects from the OHL in this year's draft.
POLL |
Should the Edmonton Oilers scout the OHL more in the future? |
Yes | 234 | 80.4 % |
No | 57 | 19.6 % |
List of polls |
|
4 hours ago | By Ryan Hall NHL Draws Anger From Fans After League's Controversial Scheduling Decision |
|
5 hours ago | By Ryan Hall Oilers Coaching Staff Showing Panic With Recent Decision On Ty Emberson |
|
7 hours ago | By Liam McCormick Flames Pursuing Shocking Early Blockbuster Trade Instead of Rebuilding |
|
8 hours ago | By Liam McCormick Bruce Boudreau Has Warning for the Edmonton Oilers About Another Slow Start |
|
8 hours ago | By Liam McCormick Oilers Defenceman Darnell Nurse Reveals His Biggest Mistake From Last Season |
|
9 hours ago | By Liam McCormick Paul Coffey Sends a Strong Message to the Entire Oilers Roster |
|
10 hours ago | By Liam McCormick Edmonton Oilers Mourn the Passing of Stanley Cup Champion at 62 Years Old |
|
11 hours ago | By Liam McCormick Oilers Could Target Promising Young Goaltender with Revenge Offer Sheet |
Previously on Oilers Daily