Oilers wrap up prospect camp

Edmonton Oilers News (September 23rd 2010)

Independent scouts at the Oilers camp have compiled the following report on the prospects attending the camp. Evaluation of fringe AHL prospects or bona fide NHL players is excluded.

Defensemen like Taylor Chorney, Jeff Petry, Alex Plante, Theo Peckham and Roman Savchenko are all starting the year in the AHL - all of which stand a chance of making the NHL roster, though Petry and Plante seemed from camp to be the closest to making the big league. Jordan Eberle seem to be a bit light-weight at present, having a hard time keeping up with the speed and intensity of top flight hockey. It is rumoured that Oilers management consider sending him back to juniors for a final year.

Forwards like Gilbert Brule, Ryan O'Marra, Teemu Hartikainen, Ryan Potulny and Jack Skille are considered top of the AHL depth chart as it stands right now, being first in line for call ups. Brule and Skille had particularly solid camps.

Still in the NHL roster, though likely to be cut before the season starts, are the likes of (D) Matt Lashoff (who had a very good camp) and (F) Aleksandr Bumagin (who was average, but showed signs of brilliance during a few scrimmages). Both seem destined to start the season in the AHL. Lastly, underage prospect Toni Rajala will be sent back to juniors within the next few days as he is ineligible to play in the AHL. Rajala was quite the enigma at camp, proving to be a bit too slow and weak during tests, but did quite well during a few of the scrimmages, prompting scouts to question if his hockey smarts are alone enough to propel him into the NHL.

A more in depth report on the unsigned prospects follow:

(W) Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson (186cm, 91kg) 19 yrs
- Had a quality camp. At just 19 he's already a tremendous skater and has a good touch of flair to go with his excellent stickhandling. He's still got some work to do on his defensive game. Projected top 6 forward.

(W) Linus Omark (179cm, 78kg) 23 yrs
- Was among the very best at camp. Is a terrific skater, has undeniable offensive skill, capped with a good selection of shots. His defensive game is even coming along at this point. The Oilers are likely to pursue him for next season based on what they saw at camp.

(C) Ant0n Lander (185cm, 85kg) 19 yrs
- Lander did not stand out at camp, but he seems to be a checking line center in the making. He is an overall sound player, yet he lacks high end skill.

(D) Cam Fowler (189cm, 89kg) 18 yrs
- Fowler started off slow, but stepped up during the last scrimmages and in the game against Springfield. He is by far the best defensive prospect of the Oilers, yet he must still improve his strength, positioning and passing to realy become a top end NHLer.

(W) Jonathan Brunelle (185cm, 97kg) 18 yrs
The 2010 4th round pick was largely a positive surprise, expectations considered. He proved able to make a few plays, while being relatively sound defensively in the process. Checking line potential.

(C) Joonas Donskoi (182cm, 78kg) 18 yrs
Donskoi, picked in the 5th round this summer, made no significant impact during camp. His skillset and skating limits his chances of making the NHL, let alone making an impact on the highest level.

(G) Olivier Roy (185cm, 79kg) 19 yrs
Roy was a 2009 4th rounder, and showed he has a long way to go to reach NHL level yet. His performances in scrimmages were decent, but he proved to be a bit slow for more competitive matches. Being lit up against AHL quality forwards did not do his chances of being signed this year any good.

(C) Ben O'Quinn (185cm, 88kg) 19 yrs
O'Quinn made no lasting impression on the coaches for good or bad, his defensively oriented game leaves little room for flair and his limits in all facets of the game are evident.

(W) Austin Watson (193cm, 81kg) 18 yrs
Watson, a 2nd rounder in 2010, seems to be a capable two-way forward, yet he lacks the skating ability to really dominate in the NHL. With his size, however, he might become a decent checking line energy player.

(D) Jon Merrill (191cm, 93kg) 18 yrs
The Oilers 15th overall pick in 2010 was a steady force on defense, though much less visible than Cam Fowler. His size allows him to effectively check opposing players around the boards, his above average skating makes him hard to outright blow by. With some polishing, he could well be a NHL quality defensive d-man in the future.

College prospects such as Danny Biega, Stephen Johns, Brian Ferlin and Kyle Bigos were not able to make camp. Among these players, Brian Ferlin seems to be the best bet to become an NHL player.
The Oilers now look forward to two home games (Rangers, Islanders) in which it is expected that they will ice a more NHL ready roster, possibly including a few AHLers too.