Pandastyle
Registered User
With the 16th overall pick, the Oilers were more than happy when Czech blueliner Ladislav Smid slipped to them. The young rearguard is already playing in the Czech Extraleague where he is counted on for his smart, mature play.
The next scheduled pick for Edmonton was in the #46 slot. "We had a feeling that Sami (Lepisto) might not be available then, so we quickly started asking every team with a pick from #35-40" commented the Oiler GM. It didn't take long to find a taker, and it was soon announced that Edmonton had reached a deal with Phoenix...sending their #46 pick and #107 pick for Phoenix's #46. It seems like the stock has been rising for the smallish Finn defenseman over the past few months after his solid WJC performance. The pick reminded some fans of last year's selection of Tim Ramholt who also made his name known playing in the WJC's.
The Oilers next selection came at #57 at which time they chose Kris Chucko, the lesser-known linemate of Salmon Arm stand-out Travis Zajac. Chucko is bit of a project, but if he plays his cards right out at the University of Minnesota he could turn into a solid forward.
Finally, at #76, the Oilers took Tyler Haskins. Haskins, though not having exceptional offensive skills, has a good work ethic and thrives in the defensive end. Though he may rarely score the game-winner, he may be the kind of guy counted on to shut down an opponent.
So four more youngsters from across the world have added their talents to the Oilers organization…one Czech, one Finn, one Canadian, and one American…so it is time again to put out the teams prospect rankings. Excluded from the list this year is Ryan Malone, who is expected to join the pro team in the coming season.
Without further ado, here are the top 20…
20. Daniel Carcillo – Hard working forward with an edge, has the ability to get on the opponents’ nerves.
19. Tyler Haskins – His two-way game may get him to the NHL if he puts on some pounds.
18. Kris Chucko – Drives to the net well, and has plenty of time to refine his game when he starts at the University of Minnesota in the fall.
17. Kevin Kantee – Is good in all aspects of the game. Kevin plays with fellow Oiler prospect Sami Lepisto for Jokerit in the SM-Liiga.
16. Jarkko A. Immonen – Has a solid 2-way game and is now in the SM-Liiga with the Espoo Blues.
15. Travis Moen – He works hard, and though he’ll likely never be more than a grinder he will likely make the HFNHL one day if he continues to do what he does.
14. Seamus Kotyk – He’s small for a net-minder, but he just might make it as a back-up in the HFNHL someday.
13. Branislav Fabry
12. Tyler Redenbach – Surprised some with his earning of the WHL scoring title, must be the hair.
11. Rob Globke – Has the size to make it in the NHL as a scorer, but does he have the skills?
10. Sami Lepisto – Is getting regular ice-time on a good SM-Liiga team (Jokerit).
9. Tim Ramholt – Swiss rearguard made the jump to NA last year, signing with Cape-Breton.
8. Corey Perry – Lead the London Knights of the OHL in scoring, and finished 2nd in the league’s scoring race to Corey Locke.
7. Jani Rita – Has struggled to show consistency in NA, but many still hold out hope due to his impressive tools. He just needs to pull it all together.
6. Jesse Niinimaki – Exceptionally talented Finnish center, who had a bit of a setback with a shoulder injury early in the ’03-’04 season.
5. Ladislav Smid – The Oilers 2004 1st round selection shows the poise needed to be a top four Dman in the NHL.
4. Hannu Toivonen – Has seen his stock rise dramatically since being selected by the Oil in the 3rd round in the 2002 Draft. He is now considered to be one of the top goaltending prospects in the World.
3. Alexander Steen – Had a very good ’03-’04 season in the SEL, showcasing his impressive all-around game.
2. Dustin Brown – To sum it up, Brown is a “gamer.†He goes hard to the net, and shows the determination needed to be successful in today’s HFNHL.
1. Ales Hemsky – He has the skills to put on the “sick†moves that make others jealous. He has great vision, and can sometimes chip-in with a jaw-dropping highlight reel goal.
Just missing the list are offensive Dman Ondrej Nemec, and Q mucker J.F. Jacques.
Strengths: Have an impressive list of forwards headlined by Hemsky, Brown, and Steen who will be given the time to develop with the Oil already being a young team. Finnish netminder Hannu Toivonen now appears to be a steal in the 3rd round (2002), and has the potential to be a starter. This time last year, one thing that many critics pointed to was the lack of prospect depth at defense. GM Gledhill has made the effort to address this need in the past 2 drafts, adding Ladislav Smid, Tim Ramholt, and Sami Lepisto to the Oilers ranks.
Weaknesses: The most obvious weakness is the lack of a 1st line caliber left wing in the system. Martin Havlat, Radim Vrbata, Ales Hemsky, Dustin Brown, and Jani Rita all have one thing in common…their natural position is right wing. Ryan Malone is the lone young left-winger after Ryan Smyth. Luckily, Martin Havlat and Jani Rita have experience on the left side and if situation warrants may be asked to switch.
The next scheduled pick for Edmonton was in the #46 slot. "We had a feeling that Sami (Lepisto) might not be available then, so we quickly started asking every team with a pick from #35-40" commented the Oiler GM. It didn't take long to find a taker, and it was soon announced that Edmonton had reached a deal with Phoenix...sending their #46 pick and #107 pick for Phoenix's #46. It seems like the stock has been rising for the smallish Finn defenseman over the past few months after his solid WJC performance. The pick reminded some fans of last year's selection of Tim Ramholt who also made his name known playing in the WJC's.
The Oilers next selection came at #57 at which time they chose Kris Chucko, the lesser-known linemate of Salmon Arm stand-out Travis Zajac. Chucko is bit of a project, but if he plays his cards right out at the University of Minnesota he could turn into a solid forward.
Finally, at #76, the Oilers took Tyler Haskins. Haskins, though not having exceptional offensive skills, has a good work ethic and thrives in the defensive end. Though he may rarely score the game-winner, he may be the kind of guy counted on to shut down an opponent.
So four more youngsters from across the world have added their talents to the Oilers organization…one Czech, one Finn, one Canadian, and one American…so it is time again to put out the teams prospect rankings. Excluded from the list this year is Ryan Malone, who is expected to join the pro team in the coming season.
Without further ado, here are the top 20…
20. Daniel Carcillo – Hard working forward with an edge, has the ability to get on the opponents’ nerves.
19. Tyler Haskins – His two-way game may get him to the NHL if he puts on some pounds.
18. Kris Chucko – Drives to the net well, and has plenty of time to refine his game when he starts at the University of Minnesota in the fall.
17. Kevin Kantee – Is good in all aspects of the game. Kevin plays with fellow Oiler prospect Sami Lepisto for Jokerit in the SM-Liiga.
16. Jarkko A. Immonen – Has a solid 2-way game and is now in the SM-Liiga with the Espoo Blues.
15. Travis Moen – He works hard, and though he’ll likely never be more than a grinder he will likely make the HFNHL one day if he continues to do what he does.
14. Seamus Kotyk – He’s small for a net-minder, but he just might make it as a back-up in the HFNHL someday.
13. Branislav Fabry
12. Tyler Redenbach – Surprised some with his earning of the WHL scoring title, must be the hair.
11. Rob Globke – Has the size to make it in the NHL as a scorer, but does he have the skills?
10. Sami Lepisto – Is getting regular ice-time on a good SM-Liiga team (Jokerit).
9. Tim Ramholt – Swiss rearguard made the jump to NA last year, signing with Cape-Breton.
8. Corey Perry – Lead the London Knights of the OHL in scoring, and finished 2nd in the league’s scoring race to Corey Locke.
7. Jani Rita – Has struggled to show consistency in NA, but many still hold out hope due to his impressive tools. He just needs to pull it all together.
6. Jesse Niinimaki – Exceptionally talented Finnish center, who had a bit of a setback with a shoulder injury early in the ’03-’04 season.
5. Ladislav Smid – The Oilers 2004 1st round selection shows the poise needed to be a top four Dman in the NHL.
4. Hannu Toivonen – Has seen his stock rise dramatically since being selected by the Oil in the 3rd round in the 2002 Draft. He is now considered to be one of the top goaltending prospects in the World.
3. Alexander Steen – Had a very good ’03-’04 season in the SEL, showcasing his impressive all-around game.
2. Dustin Brown – To sum it up, Brown is a “gamer.†He goes hard to the net, and shows the determination needed to be successful in today’s HFNHL.
1. Ales Hemsky – He has the skills to put on the “sick†moves that make others jealous. He has great vision, and can sometimes chip-in with a jaw-dropping highlight reel goal.
Just missing the list are offensive Dman Ondrej Nemec, and Q mucker J.F. Jacques.
Strengths: Have an impressive list of forwards headlined by Hemsky, Brown, and Steen who will be given the time to develop with the Oil already being a young team. Finnish netminder Hannu Toivonen now appears to be a steal in the 3rd round (2002), and has the potential to be a starter. This time last year, one thing that many critics pointed to was the lack of prospect depth at defense. GM Gledhill has made the effort to address this need in the past 2 drafts, adding Ladislav Smid, Tim Ramholt, and Sami Lepisto to the Oilers ranks.
Weaknesses: The most obvious weakness is the lack of a 1st line caliber left wing in the system. Martin Havlat, Radim Vrbata, Ales Hemsky, Dustin Brown, and Jani Rita all have one thing in common…their natural position is right wing. Ryan Malone is the lone young left-winger after Ryan Smyth. Luckily, Martin Havlat and Jani Rita have experience on the left side and if situation warrants may be asked to switch.
