Speculation: Roster dynamic

[sandhu111]

One thing I've wondered since the last few years. The team is pretty much all north American players. After koskinen left and not puljujarvi we have not a single euro (not counting drai). Even the Russian goalie bounced after a short period. Do we need a little more diversity in our roster.

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[MettleMcOiler]

We have

Draisaitl, and Broberg for euros on the main Roster, if Puljujarvi goes.

Yamamoto is from the USA, and has Japanese ancestry.

Petrov developing on ELC from Russia.
Also Samurokov

Niemelainen is Finnish.

It's a tough situation when draft picks go back to their own countries, we had our fair share of losing prospects.
I'm all for diversity, but I can also understand a little more stability with NA players, and probably the more likelyhood to be drafted. And larger saturation of players on teams because of it.

As long they can play hockey, doesn't really matter where there from.

Edit: Our draft history also shows that Oilers very open in Diversity.

Drafting

Bear - Indigenous
Khaira - Indian descent

to name a few.

And Oilers develop them to be are serviceable NHL players.

 

[VainGretzky]

I want the best players possible, could care less about their creed nationality, or whatever else it's a flipping sport not the United Nations

 

[syz]

The Oilers have made plenty of international draft picks, the problem is just they were all bad. Blame scouting, as usual.

 

[russ99]

The Oilers have made plenty of international draft picks, the problem is just they were all bad. Blame scouting, as usual.

Drafting overseas players is a crapshoot other than the top prospects, nobody really knows how they will handle the transition to North American hockey and also advance to become solid NHL players. Major junior players are more predictable. So while I will blame our scouts for not hitting on more 2nd and 3rd round picks, I won’t blame them for the lack of European players.

 

[PostBradMalone]

That's probably because our drafts looked like this for a good half-decade:

1997, 14th overall- Michel Riesen
1999, 13th overall- Jani Rita
2000, 17th overall- Alexei Mikhnov
2002, 15th overall- Jesse Niinimaki

In fact from 1995 to 2009, the only Euro to break 300 GP in the NHL for Edmonton was Hemsky. We didn't have another hit 500 GP until Drai. That's an incredible track record of incompetence.

 

[prazskycanuck]

As was mentioned, we have had diverse draft picks but have had bad luck with either 1. them leaving for Europe or 2. them not ending up suitable for NA style play but end up tearing it up elsewhere (Thoresen comes to mind, as well as Omark). Even for 1st round draft picks since 2000, 9 have been non NA born players...only Hemsky, Klefbom and Draisaitl have made significant contributions to the team. And Klefbom could be argued. JP and Broberg still technically TBD. Not drafted by us, but so has Larsson. However, when in the entirety of the century so far, you draft at almost a 60/40 split NA vs World and only get significant returns on 30% of those 40%, while getting significant returns on arguably 9 (Those being Dubnyk, Cogliano, Petry, Gagner, Eberle, Hall, Nuge, Nurse and McD - others still TBD) of the NA ones, and any smart team retains players that contribute....you end up with a team led by NA players.
I think any team needs diversity to win the cup....but more important, they need the right pieces. Wherever they are from. When I look at the draft choices, some make me cringe (Mnichov, Niinimaki), and literally contributed nothing...others such as Magnus Paajarvi or the infamous Yak Attack just didn't find their way, although they were good enough for the league (when not their role).

I suspect this comes from watching the finals and seeing names like Kucerov, Raantanen, Lehkonen, Vasilevsky, etc...but while i think there are many very good scandinavian players and they are usually reliable, russian players are usually wildcards, no matter what their talent level...players like Kucherov and Raantanen are very lucky finds.

 

[Kolja]

we have not a single euro (not counting drai).

So you are saying we DO have a euro?

Sensemaking 2.0

 

[Kolja]

russian players are usually wildcards, no matter what their talent level...players like Kucherov and Raantanen are very lucky finds.

Raantanen is Finnish. Given the political state of things between Russia and EU I belive we should be clear on who belongs to which country.

But perhaps this lack of knowledge regarding the world outside of NA is the answer to the main question in the thread.

 

[grego]

You also can't force non Na players into the NHL. Many of them respect the NHL but are from other countries too. If they are non elite NHL player. But the best player in a euro league they can end up paid close in money, then they can be close to home family, a familiar culture.

Only na players and some top euro players see the NHL as the only dream that matters at all.

 

[prazskycanuck]

Raantanen is Finnish. Given the political state of things between Russia and EU I belive we should be clear on who belongs to which country.

But perhaps this lack of knowledge regarding the world outside of NA is the answer to the main question in the thread.

very aware of that, and was not insinuating he is Russian... but i can now see how i wrote that can be misinterpreted ...ty vole...oops

 

[McDoused]

Believe it or not but hockey players outside of Canada arent exactly flocking to play in cold Edmonton.

 

[Stoneman89]

Oilers historically have not had much success drafting Russians, and it may play into their mindset when choosing between a couple guys that are close in talent.