The Edmonton Oilers struggles on the draft desk have been nicely documented over time. Poor drafting and creating had been a important think about why the Oilers had solely made the playoffs simply 4 instances because the 2000-01 season. Edmonton even went via a nicely documented string the place they’d 4 first general picks in six years including Taylor Corridor (2010), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Nail Yakupov (2012), and Connor McDavid (2015).

Having these excessive picks didn’t have an effect on the crew’s general end result on the time as a result of they weren’t discovering NHL caliber expertise exterior the primary spherical. You possibly can have stars, however it’s worthwhile to encompass these stars with high quality depth. Edmonton didn’t begin bettering their star draft picks till Ken Holland took over as Basic Supervisor in 2019.

It was not all on the scouting group as Edmonton’s had Kevin Lowe, Steve Tambellini, Craig MacTavish, Peter Chiarelli and Holland within the common supervisor’s chair. The addition of Keith Gretzky helped the Oilers get their 2017 class so as, and the picks made throughout Chiarelli’s tenure have percolated to the highest. Solely time will inform how new GM Stan Bowman will fare.

Latest draft picks Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway have given Edmonton hope for the longer term. And CEO of Hockey Operations, Jeff Jackson, helped restock the prospect cabinet this previous summer time when he traded Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio to the Buffalo Sabres for extremely touted prospect Matt Savoie. The Oilers have had some unbelievable luck in drafting Leon Draisaitl third general in 2014, drafting Stuart Skinner 78th general in 2017 and Evan Bouchard tenth general in 2018, however because the group they’ve additionally collected their justifiable share of busts over time.

Listed below are 10 of the largest draft busts in Oilers historical past relationship again to the 2000 NHL Draft.

#10 – RW Jesse Puljujarvi

Ht/Wgt: 6’4 201lbs | Birthplace: Alvkarleby, SWE

Draft: 2016 – 1st spherical – 4th general | Projection: Prime 6 Playmaking Ahead

GM & Head Scout: Peter Chiarelli, Bob Inexperienced

NHL Totals: 356 GP –  54 G – 64 A – 118 PTS

Jesse Puljujarvi was an absolute beast on the 2016 World Juniors, serving to Finland win gold and end first in scoring. He appeared like a can’t-miss prospect. On the 2016 NHL Draft, the Oilers had their eyes on Matthew Tkachuk because it appeared like the highest three prospects, Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Puljujarvi, would go to the three groups choosing first – Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Leafs, in fact, took Matthews, the Jets took Laine however Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen determined to bypass Puljujarvi and selected Pierre Luc-Dubois third general. So, with the Oilers on the clock, and what seemingly felt like Puljujarvi fell into their laps, they determined to forgo selecting Tkachuk and went with the participant who would finally change into referred to as “The Bison King.”

That is a type of instances the place each the participant and the group failed one another. The Oilers failed Puljujarvi by dashing him to the NHL and never correctly dealing with him all through his time in Edmonton. He failed the Oilers by not having the hockey smarts and instincts wanted to be an elite scorer within the NHL. He has confirmed to be a preferred, and marginal, NHLer at finest. He’s sturdy within the defensive zone, which is nice, however when a participant is chosen as excessive as he was, he wants to point out some offensive aptitude. My general impression of Puljujarvi is that he’s an awesome child who by no means constructed up the arrogance wanted to take his sport greater. Accidents additionally plagued him as he’s had surgical procedure on each hips and sadly by no means lived as much as the excessive expectations positioned on him in Edmonton.

Different Choices: LW Matthew Tkachuk, D Charlie McAvoy, RW Alex DeBrincat

#9 – D Doug Lynch

Ht/Wgt: 6’3 214lbs | Birthplace: North Vancouver, British Columbia

Draft: 2001 – 2nd spherical – forty third general | Projection: No. 4 Shutdown Defenseman

GM & Head Scout: Kevin Lowe, Kevin Prendergast

NHL Totals: 2 GP – 0 G – 0 A – 0 PTS

Being a second-rounder doesn’t imply that Lynch wasn’t a bust. There have been some lofty expectations pushed upon Lynch who lots of people thought may’ve been a poor man’s Barrett Jackman. Lynch additionally had a superb WHL profession with the Purple Deer Rebels. When Edmonton referred to as his identify with the forty third choice in 2001, individuals believed the Oilers had one of many higher second-round picks of that draft.

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Sadly, accidents had their approach with Lynch, and his shot at a long-term NHL profession was hampered. He misplaced a substantial period of time in his improvement years, particularly a wrist harm that might have an effect on his puckhandling skills. After investing four-plus years in Lynch, the Oilers moved him to amass Chris Pronger from the St. Louis Blues earlier than the 2005-06 season began.

Lynch would spend the subsequent two seasons in St. Louis’ farm system and by no means performed one other NHL sport. Six years after being drafted Lynch left for Austria and joined EC Salzburg and hasn’t returned since. He would signal with EC Salzburg for the 2007-08 season and primarily performed all seven seasons within the Belarus league.

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He would additionally make pitstops with the Vienna Capitals and Frolunda HC. Lynch retired after the 2013-14 season after enjoying 11 professional seasons throughout numerous leagues. The spotlight of his profession was serving to Purple Deer win the 2001 Memorial Cup.

Different Choices: C Mike Zigomanis, C Mike Cammalleri, RW Chris Thorburn, RW Jason Pominville, C Jay McClement

#8 – LW Magnus Paajarvi

Ht/Wgt: 6’2 205lbs | Birthplace: Norrkoping, Sweden

Draft: 2009 – 1st spherical – tenth general | Projection: Prime 6 Energy Ahead

GM & Head Scout: Steve Tambellini, Stu MacGregor

NHL Totals: 467 GP – 62 G – 62 A – 124 PTS

A stellar efficiency for Sweden on the 2009 World Juniors put a rocket on Paajarvi’s again throughout his draft 12 months. He was an adolescent enjoying aggressive minutes for Timra in Sweden’s high league. When the Oilers received to the rostrum, they had been naturally ecstatic to be touchdown a fast skating energy ahead.

By the point Paajarvi had performed his first NHL sport with the Oilers in 2010-11, he’d already collected back-to-back silver medals adopted by a bronze on the World Juniors and a gold medal on the Ivan Hlinka match. Paajarvi seemed like an actual star within the making and issued within the subsequent period for the Oilers together with Taylor Corridor and Jordan Eberle.

Paajarvi posted 34 factors in 80 video games throughout his rookie 12 months however by no means appeared to match or exceed that success within the years to observe. His inventory started to dwindle and ended up splitting his minutes between the NHL and AHL. Paajarvi would put up 58 factors in 163 video games as an Oiler earlier than being traded to the St. Louis Blues in a one-for-one deal for David Perron.

Associated: What Occurred To Oilers 2009 Draft Class?

Paajarvi would play elements of the subsequent 5 seasons with the Blues whereas additionally spending time within the American League. In January 2018, the Blues waived Paajarvi who was claimed by the Ottawa Senators. He scored eight factors in 35 video games and signed a one-year extension for the 2018-19 season and at present stays unsigned. At finest, Paajarvi is a borderline NHL participant at this stage of his profession regardless of displaying a lot promise as a excessive draft choose.

Different Choices: D Ryan Ellis, D Calvin de Haan, RW Zack Kassian, D Dmitri Kulikov, D Nick Leddy, LW Chris Kreider

#7 – D Alex Plante

Ht/Wgt: 6’5 229lbs | Birthplace: Brandon, MAN

Draft: 2007 – 1st spherical – fifteenth general | Projection: No. 4 Shutdown Defenseman

GM & Head Scout: Kevin Lowe, Kevin Prendergast

NHL Totals: 10 GP – 0 G – 2A – 2PTS

From the second the Plante choose was made in 2007 individuals had been skeptical. It additionally didn’t assist that the fifteenth general choose was a part of the bundle Edmonton received in alternate for sending beloved Oiler Ryan Smyth to the New York Islanders. Additionally included within the bundle had been Robert Nilsson and Ryan O’Marra. All three gamers fizzled out.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, Plante had a decent profession because the Calgary Hitmen’s finest defensive defenseman. Nonetheless, Plante would miss most of his draft-plus-one season with a again harm. Plante’s improvement slowed after that. When he turned professional, he struggled together with his mobility and general footspeed.

Plante went from being a bodily imposing defender to trying like a mean minor league defender. Accidents would additional complicate issues, together with 4 concussions throughout his time within the AHL. He spent the subsequent 4 seasons enjoying within the AHL with the Oklahoma Metropolis Barons and solely performed two  NHL video games for the Oilers.

Associated: What Occurred To Oilers 2007 Draft Class?

In the course of the summer time of 2013, the Oilers and Plante went their separate methods. Plante would find yourself signing with Dornbirner of EBEL, then Lorenskog in Norway. The previous three seasons Plante has been enjoying within the Asia League for Anyang Halla. Plante additionally received his South Korean citizenship and even performed for South Korea on the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Different Choices: D Ian Cole

#6 – G Jeff Deslauriers

Ht/Wgt: 6’4 203lbs | Birthplace: St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec

Draft: 2002 – 2nd spherical – thirty first general | Projection: No. 1 Goalie

GM & Head Scout: Kevin Lowe, Kevin Prendergast

NHL Totals: 62 GP – 23 W – 3.24 GAA – 0.901 SV%

In his draft 12 months, Deslauriers was ranked as the highest North American goaltender by the Worldwide Scouting Service (ISS). He was additionally seen because the second-best goaltender within the 2002 NHL Draft behind Kari Lehtonen, who would go second general. Deslauriers had nice dimension for a goaltender, moved very nicely for a man his dimension, and was a star within the QMJHL on the time.

He was all the time on the cusp of creating Canada’s squad for the WJC. Edmonton seemed like they’d discovered their future No. 1 goaltender. In hindsight, the 2002 goaltending group wasn’t very deep. Lehtonen, Cam Ward, Josh Harding, and Curtis McElhinney had been the one different goaltenders to have NHL careers.

Deslauriers struggled to realize traction amongst the professional ranks as a result of the Oilers didn’t have a devoted AHL franchise on the time. The Oilers shared the Hamilton Bulldogs franchise with the Montreal Canadiens within the 2005-06 season, and since Montreal was operating the crew, their goalies received the prime ice time. This was a majour blow to Deslauriers’ improvement. He by no means actually had a good likelihood and finally misplaced his spot on the depth chart to Edmonton’s first-round choose in 2004 Devan Dubnyk. When Deslauriers lastly received an opportunity to run with the No. 1 job in Edmonton, he struggled to say the spot.

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After spending the vast majority of his profession within the AHL, Deslauriers signed with the Anaheim Geese in July 2011 and bounced across the AHL for the subsequent three seasons earlier than heading to Europe. He final performed for the Lacombe Generals of the ChHL. He has since retired after the 2016-17 season and is now in industrial actual property.

Different Choices: G Josh Harding, D Trevor Daley

#5 – C Jesse Niinimaki

Ht/Wgt: 6’3 196lbs | Birthplace: Tampere, Finland

Draft: 2002 – 1st spherical – fifteenth general | Projection: Prime 6 Offensive Middle

GM & Head Scout: Kevin Lowe, Kevin Prendergast

NHL Totals: By no means performed 

When the Oilers drafted Niinimaki, they had been hoping that he, Alexei Mikhnov (seventeenth, 2000), and Ales Hemsky (thirteenth, 2001) could be huge items within the membership’s mid-2000’s turnaround. That they had an influence ahead on the left wing (Mikhnov), and a silky playmaking right-winger (Hemsky), all they wanted was a giant, rangy middle. They thought Niinimaki was that man.

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It by no means fairly labored out that approach as Niinimaki by no means performed a single sport for the Oilers. In reality, Ninimaki’s solely look within the North American professional system was when a 24 sport stint within the AHL in the course of the 2004-05 NHL lockout. Niinimaki suited up alongside many different Oiler prospects with the Edmonton  Highway Runners.

@dstaples Oilers have busted eight instances in top-20 since 1995. Plante, Niinimaki, Mihknov, Rita, Henrich, Riesen, Descoteaux, Kelly.

— Robin Brownlee (@Robin_Brownlee) June 13, 2015

He suffered via a big chunk of the 12 months with a shoulder harm and returned to Ilves in Finland to complete out the season. That was all she wrote for Niinimaki. He would keep in Liiga for the subsequent ten seasons (he additionally did play sparingly in different leagues presently). He hadn’t performed because the 2016-17 season when he suited up for Yunost Minsk in Belarus.

Different Choices: C Boyd Gordon, LW Sean Bergenheim, LW Alexander Steen

#4 – C Rob Schremp

Ht/Wgt: 5’11 201lbs | Birthplace: Fulton, New York

Draft: 2004 – 1st spherical – twenty fifth general | Projection: Prime 6 Scoring Ahead

GM & Head Scout: Kevin Lowe, Kevin Prendergast

NHL Totals: 114 GP – 20 G – 34 A – 54 PTS

Once you’re given the legend of John Henry’s hammer, it’s most of the time you may’t dwell as much as these lofty expectations. This couldn’t be more true about Schremp. Whereas enjoying on the OHL juggernaut London Knights within the mid-2000s, Schremp was seen as an elite-level expertise with nice offensive expertise.

In his draft 12 months, Schremp was a point-producing machine on the facility play. Of the 75 factors Schremp piled up in his draft 12 months, 63% of these factors got here on the facility play. Thus you may go each methods on Schremp. Both you noticed him as a high-caliber offensive ahead, or he was a power-play specialist. There have been additionally purple flags about his general foot pace.

He ended his junior profession with a staggering goal-per-game common (57 targets in 57 video games), and 145 factors. Naturally, there was loads of pleasure, and it seemed like Schremp may on the very least be a constant top-six scoring ahead. It didn’t work out as Schremp’s perspective, foot pace, lack of defensive consciousness and all expertise away from the puck had been missing.

Associated: What Occurred to Rob Schremp?

His sport by no means advanced, and the Oilers solely received seven NHL video games out of him earlier than waiving him. He would then spend time with the New York Islanders and Atlanta Thrashers. Schremp would finally play for a number of European golf equipment over the subsequent seven seasons. He tried to make a comeback in 2015-16 with the AHL’s Portland Pirates however ended up again in Europe. He performed the 2017-18 season with EC Salzburg of the EBEL.

Different Choices: G Cory Schneider, D Mike Inexperienced, C Dave Bolland

#3  – LW – Alexei Mikhnov

Ht/Wgt: 6’5 200lbs | Birthplace: Kiev, Ukraine

Draft: 2000 – 1st spherical – seventeenth general | Projection: Prime 6 Energy Ahead

GM & Head Scout: Kevin Lowe, Barry Fraser

NHL Totals: 2 GP – 0 G – 0 A  – 0 PTS

This was Barry Fraser’s final 12 months as Oilers head scout and deservedly so. Mikhnov was a large swing and a miss on what Edmonton believed was a future energy ahead. Mikhnov took a number of years to come back to North America, and the one season he did play, he left early to return to Russia. It left a bitter style within the mouths of the group and fan base.

He spent the vast majority of the 2006-07 season with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. Mikhnov produced first rate numbers in that shortened marketing campaign with 18 factors in 27 video games. He even performed two unremarkable video games with the Oilers that 12 months. Primarily the Oilers gave Mikhnov an all-expenses-paid prolonged North American trip with round-trip airfare.

Associated: NHL Draft – Historical past of the seventeenth Total Decide

Different Choices: D Brooks Orpik, LW Alexander Frolov, D Anton Volchenkov, RW Brad Boyes, RW Justin Williams

#2 – C Marc-Antoine Pouliot

Ht/Wgt: 6’1 187lbs | Birthplace: Quebec Metropolis, Quebec

Draft: 2003  – 1st spherical – twenty second general | Projection: Prime 6 Two-Method Middle

GM & Head Scout: Kevin Lowe, Kevin Prendergast

NHL Totals: 192 GP – 21 G – 36 A – 57 PTS

On the time the 2003 draft class was pegged because the deepest class in historical past, deeper than the 1979 class. In hindsight, a lot of the NHL franchises received a participant to construct their crew round. Among the examples embody Carolina getting Eric Staal, Nashville getting Ryan Suter, Chicago getting Brent Seabrook, and Anaheim getting each Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.

One of many groups that missed wildly was the Oilers who took Marc-Antoine Pouliot with the twenty second general choose. What hurts probably the most is that Ryan Kesler, Mike Richards, and Corey Perry had been taken simply after. For those who have a look at the Oilers late-2000’s struggles, perhaps it wouldn’t have been so unhealthy if Edmonton secured one of many others.

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As a substitute, they received a man who received a variety of offensive rub from Sidney Crosby in junior. To make issues worse, they even traded down from 17 to 22. That seventeenth general choose ended up being Zach Parise. Speak about a blunder. Pouliot by no means amounted to being way more than a fringe NHLer who received fourth-line minutes when he performed.

Pouliot would play 5 seasons throughout the Oilers system, primarily within the AHL, earlier than Edmonton relinquished their rights. He’d play the subsequent two seasons throughout the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes organizations. He’s performed the final six seasons within the NLA and is contracted with EHC Biel-Bienne for the 2018-19 season.

Different Choices: C Ryan Kesler, C Mike Richards, RW Corey Perry

#1 – RW Nail Yakupov

Ht/Wgt: 5’11” 194 lbs | Birthplace:  Nizhnekamsk, Russia

Draft: 2012  – 1st spherical – 1st general | Projection: Elite Purpose Scoring Winger

GM & Head Scout: Steve Tambellini, Stu MacGregor

NHL Totals: 350 GP – 62 G – 74 A – 136 PTS

Yakupov is arms down not solely the Oilers largest draft bust however the probably the most infamous first general bust in NHL historical past. He’s proper up there with Alexandre Daigle and Patrik Stefan. Yakupov was pegged to be a perennial 40-goal scorer when he was drafted. Scouts cherished his scoring prowess and talent to do issues at excessive pace.

This seemed like a runaway choose for the Oilers. On the time they’d Taylor Corridor, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle, and now a pure sniper in Yakupov. All of the constructing blocks had been imagined to be there. Yakupov had a powerful rookie season scoring 17 targets and 31 factors in 48 video games. He completed fifth in Calder Trophy voting and had 11 first-place votes on the poll.

So what occurred? Yakupov failed to interrupt the 20-goal plateau, was a defensive legal responsibility, and by no means scored greater than 33 factors in a season with the Oilers. Within the fall of 2016, Edmonton lastly traded Yakupov for Zach Pochiro and a conditional third. That choose was later traded because the Oilers moved as much as snag goaltending prospect, Stuart Skinner.

Associated: Studying From Previous 1st Total Failures

Yakupov has since frolicked with each the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. He had a dreadful 12 months scoring simply 9 targets and 16 factors in 58 video games. When the playoffs rolled round, he was a wholesome scratch for the Avalanche’s first-round loss in opposition to the Nashville Predators. At simply 25 years of age, Yakupov has run out of NHL choices and is now within the midst of his second full season with SKA Saint Petersburg within the KHL.