The Edmonton Oilers made seven choices throughout the 2024 NHL Draft on June 28 and 29, together with a pair of forwards from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL): right-wing Sam O’Reilly, picked 32^nd general, and centre William Nicholl, taken at No. 196.

Associated: 5 Issues to Know About Oilers’ First-Spherical Draft Choose Sam O’Reilly

Edmonton has now chosen a complete of 13 Knights gamers within the NHL Draft since becoming a member of the league in 1979. No different beginner staff has had greater than eight gamers drafted by the Oilers in that point.

The London-to-Edmonton pipeline has produced combined outcomes through the years. Some Knights alumni made a big impact, whereas others by no means lived as much as their draft standing. Right here’s a have a look at probably the most notable Oilers draft picks out of London, from the nice to the dangerous to the one and solely Sam Gagner.

The Good

Evan Bouchard

Drafted tenth general in 2018, Bouchard has performed 265 common season and 53 postseason video games for the Oilers. This previous yr, he established himself as top-of-the-line offensive blueliners within the NHL as we speak whereas making noticeable strides in his defensive play underneath the teachings of Oilers assistant coach Paul Coffey.

Bouchard’s 82 factors in 2023-24 have been fourth most amongst NHL defenceman in 2023-24 and have been probably the most in a single season by an Oilers rearguard for the reason that aforementioned Coffey in 1985-86. Within the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he set the file for many factors by a defenceman via the primary two rounds of a playoff yr, with 20, and broke Coffey’s 39-year-old file for many assists by a blueliner in a single postseason with 26.

Steve Smith

Drafted 111th general in 1981, Smith far exceeded what anybody would have anticipated for a mid-sixth-rounder. The feisty blueliner went on to play greater than 800 NHL common season video games and is considered one of solely 9 gamers from his draft class to whole at the very least 300 NHL common season assists.

Smith is most remembered in Edmonton for placing the puck in his personal internet off goalie Grant Fuhr in Sport 7 of the 1986 Smythe Division towards Calgary. However placing that disastrous second apart, Smith had a terrific tenure with the Oilers, successful Stanley Cups in 1987, 1988, and 1990 and taking part in within the 1991 NHL All-Star Sport. Smith ranks within the high 5 on a number of all-time leaderboards for Edmonton defenceman and is considered one of solely 5 blueliners with a number of seasons of fifty or extra factors for the Oilers.

The Unhealthy

Rob Schremp

Edmonton drafted Schremp within the first spherical, 25^th general, in 2004, whereas the American centre was amid a spectacular OHL profession. In 247 common season video games, Schremp racked up 154 targets and 230 assists for 384 factors, the third most of anybody to play within the OHL this millennium. Schremp was named OHL Rookie of the Yr in 2003, received the Memorial Cup in 2005, and led the OHL in factors in 2005-06.

Sadly, Schremp’s junior prolificacy by no means transferred to the NHL. He would solely seem in seven video games with the Oilers earlier than he was reduce on the finish of 2009 preseason and subsequently claimed on waivers by the New York Islanders. Schremp finally performed in 114 NHL video games, the final coming with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010-11. After bouncing round European professional leagues for a number of years, he retired in 2018.

Nick Stajduhar

Stajduhar was chosen 16 general in 1993, with a decide the Oilers had acquired from the Los Angeles Kings 5 years earlier as a part of the notorious Wayne Gretzky commerce. The defenseman was coming off a season with the Knights, and he recorded 15 targets and 46 assists in simply 49 video games. By the conclusion of his junior profession in 1994, he’d amassed 183 factors, which nonetheless ranks high 5 all-time for a blueliner with the Knights.

Nonetheless, Stajduhar performed simply two NHL common season video games, each with Edmonton in 1995-96, which ranks among the many fewest ever by an Oilers first-round choice. Whereas a member of the Cape Breton Oilers, then Edmonton’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, Stajduhar was concerned in an altercation at a nightclub and sustained a concussion that appeared to derail his profession. Stajduhar was solely 26 when he retired following the 2000-01 hockey season.

Sam Gagner

Gagner has a singular place in Oilers historical past that will by no means be replicated: He’s the one particular person to play for Edmonton on three events, separated by stints with different NHL groups. That speaks each to his resilient angle and the vagabond nature of his profession.

The middle made his NHL debut in 2007, simply months after Edmonton drafted him sixth general. He spent the subsequent seven seasons with the Oilers earlier than he was dealt away, finally ending up with the Arizona Coyotes.

Following stints with Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Vancouver Canucks, Gagner returned to Edmonton through commerce on Feb. 16, 2019. Nonetheless, his return engagement lasted simply over a yr: on Feb. 24, 2020, Edmonton shipped Gagner to the Detroit Purple Wings.

After spending components of three seasons in Detroit, Gagner joined the Winnipeg Jets for 2022-23, however his season was ended by hip surgical procedure, which had many questioning whether or not he would ever play within the NHL once more.

Decided to extend his profession, Gagner signed an AHL contract with the Bakersfield Condors on Oct. 23, 2023. The Oilers referred to as simply over every week later, inking Gagner to a one-year, two-way deal. He appeared in 28 common season video games with the Oilers in 2023-24, scoring 5 occasions and allotting 5 assists, however didn’t see any postseason motion throughout Edmonton’s run to Sport 7 of the Stanley Cup Remaining.

The 34-year-old has now performed 1,043 profession NHL regular-season video games, fifth most amongst his draft class. Gagner logged 570 regular-season video games as an Oiler, totaling 116 targets and 211 assists in these contests.

As soon as once more, there’s hypothesis that Gagner has performed his final NHL sport. The veteran needs to maintain taking part in, as reported only a week in the past by Sportsnet Elliotte Friedman. Whether or not he will get one other alternative, it seemingly received’t be in Edmonton.

In the meantime, the Oilers simply held their 2024 Improvement Camp, which included O’Reilly and Nicholl, two gamers that followers in Oil Nation hope will at some point fall underneath Edmonton’s London draft choices’ “the nice” class. Solely time will inform.