Oilers Scouting

[Game 8]

The Kopitar story sounds similar to how we ended up with Kurri. Good to see there still is a chance of getting hidden gems! With the base we already have one very good year at the draft table would make us a monster!

 

[McDoused]

well to be fair EDM is not the only organization that makes these picks.. a case can be made for each team.. 3 guys picked right before Musil in RD 1= Phillips, Jensen and Rakell .. Dont see any of them being as a good as Eberle anytime soon..
same with Moroz. Pearson, Motteau, Collberg.. I would have been equally unthrilled with any of these picks..
Coyle, Nelson, Etem instead of Pitlick would have been meh as well.

For me its been an ongoing battle between our management and our scouting. Our management tells our scouts that we need to draft a player of a certain type (I.E. A physical defenceman, Big physical winger, etc) rather than focusing on what they think of BPA. On one hand, our scouts should be good enough at addressing these types of players but on the other hand you would think that management would want to grab the BPA regardless of need. I don't have any problems going with need in later rounds but our 2nd-3rd round picks have felt somewhat underwhelming over the past couple of years.

To make things more confusing we could bring in our developmental system. Guys like Musil, Pitlick, Lander, Marcinin and Hamilton weren't exactly off the board. I'm not convinced that our players are being developed properly. At the same time, I will remain patient for these guys to develop. It's not like they are just going to instantly crack the roster like first overall picks do.

I just don't want to see us give up on a guy (like Kyle Brodziak) after we spend years developing them. Lets give these guys a few years to see where the problems really are with our system.

 

[nye]

A scout for the Kings says some teams cut their scouting.

That is pretty vague.

How many teams are some?

How much did they cut their scouting?

There's also later in the quoted bit where a second person (Craig Button) claims that some teams have cut back this year.

And your questions are why I started the thread, but with particular interest in the Oilers.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Cornet?? Isnt he in ECHL this year and pointless in 8 AHL games?

Also, Rattie and Jenner were ranked ahead of Musil by almost everyone..

After day 1... no fan or hockey expert predicted EDM to select Pitlick as the first pick on day 2.

Our scouting has be decent but it isnt as godly as fans here make it to be.

I actually am not in love with the draft picks the Oilers have made past the 1st round the last few years either (I have an over the top rant about Moroz to prove that )... but specifically about Pitlick... I remember that draft clearly and on the 2nd day he was clearly regarded by most as the BPA at #31 when the Oilers chose him. He was the type of prospect (physical C with decent hands) that the Oilers were looking for (even then) and I specifically remember people at that draft show talking about how he'd fallen out of the 1st round and was a solid pick at that stage.

I do agree overall though that the Oilers drafting beyond the 1st round has been possibly less than glowing. It's also easy to say in hindsight there would have been better picks.. but there could have been worse ones as well. I agree Musil was a "safe" pick. I probably would have chosen differently but I understood why they took him there.

Moroz being chosen where he was... just stupid imo. Nothing against him and I hope he has an NHL career someday but no way they should have taken him that high.

Other 2nd & 3rd rounders picked recently (last 4 drafts):

Hamilton, Martindale, Pitlick, Marincin, Khaira, Perhonen, Ewanyk, Zharkov, Lander, Hesketh, Abney.

Obviously too early to say on Zharkov & Khaira at this stage but Zharkov I think was a good pick. Khaira I didn't know enough about to make much of a judgment on so I have to give the benefit of the doubt to the scouts there.

Pitlick... as stated, I think several other teams would have chosen him very early in the 2nd if the Oilers had passed him over.

Hamilton... was considered a good pick at the time as I seem to remember he'd had some injuries which saw him fall in the rankings. Certainly hasn't developed that well but still worth watching for another year or two.

Martindale had some apparent motivational problems but plenty of raw talent... may still be the case.

Marincin... looked very good in junior and it's only recently that people are stating to question his play at the pro AHL level... simply needs more time to improve/progress.

Perhonen... no idea really as we get very little feedback on how he's doing overseas. From what little I've seen he's probably a long-shot at this stage but who knows. You basically have to pick a goalie each year to try and get something going in that department. Between Bunz, Roy and the 2 Finns... I'm hoping one turns into at least a decent co-starter at the NHL level someday.

Hesketh/Abney... probably both busts at this stage... it's possible Abney may still turn into a 4th line injury tough guy call-up someday at best... not holding out much hope though.

Lander/Ewanyk... defensive type forwards who both may develop into decent 3rd line defensive specialists... or never make it to the NHL level... only time will tell.

Overall I can see why some would criticize the Oilers for not having chosen well recently in the 2nd round and beyond BUT let's say a LaLeggia or a Gernat or a Rieder turn into NHL players... that may go a long way in helping the overall prospect picture. You never really know where the successes may come from as obviously the entire draft (outside the very top elite players) is a crap-shoot when drafting 18 year old kids.

 

[Jumptheshark]

A scout for the Kings says some teams cut their scouting.

That is pretty vague.

How many teams are some?

How much did they cut their scouting?

If memory serves me correct the teams in the southern states cut their staff and some teams who never draft well. But I believe most teams kept their scouts in the off season. That being said, I do know that most teams had coaches on the road scouting as well.

 

[joestevens29]

Our scouting (or management decisions) have been terrible. How many teams keep going off the board in early rounds over the last several years with picks like Plante (gee the Oilers though Plante made Alzner look good instead of the other way around), Nash (who wanted no part of the Oilers), Moroz, Pitlick etc. etc.

Time for KLowe to find another fall guy(s) .... cause you know he'll never pay the price.

2007 was a bad year to have 3 1st rounders plain and simple. Sure we could've maybe at Pacioretty and Perron instead of Plante and Nash, but we could've had Logan MacMillan and Patrick White too.

If in 2-3 years we find out that Stu's picking hasn't been great, then he is gone. It's just that simple.

As for going off the grid it happens all the time

 

[cham85]

Lafranchise

I think the oilers scouts found a real solid dman in Kane Lafranchise recently. He has been solid all year for the Aces in the Echl, and has been the guy shutting down Rajala when the two teams played.
A real nice find, much like the Fedun signing last year, get him for nothing and has the potential to make a real nice splash as a solid pro moving forward.

 

[puckfan13]

There was a video with Stu on the website about a month ago he was saying they were only sending Musil to scout the WJC.

 

[tiger_80]

I've been hoping for good things from the 31 and high 60's picks from the last few years. They still have time.

Eberle at 22 is looking like a good bit of business though.

FWs taken in the 2nd round between 2009 and 2012 onwards are not looking too good so far.
Lander might develop into a Reasoner type 4th line centre if all goes right
Pitlick could be a good 3rd liner one day, but will probably take another 2-3 years to make it to the NHL, much less to reach his upside.
Hamilton --maybe a 4th liner if things go right.
Moroz--too early to tell.

Defensemen have been doing better.
Marincin--still has potential to develop into a solid No.3 or No.4 d-man at the NHL level.
Musil--ditto.

 

[joestevens29]

There was a video with Stu on the website about a month ago he was saying they were only sending Musil to scout the WJC.

What do they usually send?

 

[nye]

There was a video with Stu on the website about a month ago he was saying they were only sending Musil to scout the WJC.

That's the sort of news I was hoping not to hear.

 

[nexttothemoon]

I was hoping the Oilers would be at least in "business as usual" mode in terms of the scouting department... but I guess Katz isn't a bottomless pit when it comes to resources so I assume that the cutbacks other teams are making is also happening on the Oilers. Too bad because this year is a year where the potential for some Zetterberg/Datsyuk type steals in the draft could definitely occur.

Of course we aren't hearing a lot and it's mostly hearsay so maybe they are generally scouting as thoroughly as they always do.