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Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Yahoo
This physical winger has a chance to become a valuable cog in the Edmonton Oilers Bottom-6
The Top 20 countdown of our 2025 Cult of Hockey Prospect Series continues. Again, these are the twenty young men in the system today closest to making an impact with the big club. Players only fall off the list once they: -Make the NHL -Get dealt to a different organization -Age out, or… -Drop off the map. Lets proceed… 2025 Edmonton Oilers Top Prospect Rankings #15 – David Lewandowski (Voters: David Staples, Kurt Leavins, Jim Matheson, Ira Cooper). Physical wingers with some skill and on their ELC's are like found gold in the NHL. Will David Lewandowski be that for the Oilers? Selected in this past June's draft in Round Four, #117 overall, this left-shot winger out of Schwatzinger, Germany stands 6'1 and weighs in at 177 LB. If you look at this prospect through the lens of well-known and respected draft projections, this was a shrewd pick-up by Edmonton. Elite Prospects had him ranked #77, Daily faceoff #86, Flo Hockey #69 and his consolidated ranking rang in at #94. From the outside in, that looks like a win. The eighteen-year-old will turn 19 in February. In his first season in the Western Hockey League, Lewandowski was productive, going 15-24-39 in 52 GP adding 21 PIM. He also had a goal and an assist in four playoff games. In addition, he had a goal and an assist in four games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Prior to that, Lewandowski also managed to play seven games with Dusseldorf EG in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), which is Germany's top professional league as a seventeen-year-old. He also has international experience. But that small sample playing against men as a teenager stands out more to me. Here is what the scouts say: Elite Prospects: -Lewandowski is a dominant puck protector who throws reverse hits and bulldozes contact. His shooting has been a constant threat across his career. He rips pucks off his outside leg and possesses a powerful catch-and-release shot that he leverages with higher-end precision. Even more impressive, his physical skills – puck protection, especially – are the most translatable aspects of his game. Dobber Prospects: -A smart, solid, all-around forward with a strong shot and sub-par skating, though he has a straightforward path to the NHL. A solid all-around player'. Other pluses: -Lewandowski knows where the blue paint is. He has a nose for the net and seems to relish the journey in getting there. -Consistently positive reviews for his defensive play and strong along the walls. -Those that know him say he has a high Hockey IQ and plays a mature game. Where he needs work: -Foot speed, foot speed, foot speed. If this kid can get his boots moving quicker and more efficiently, it could lead to a breakout year with the Saskatoon Blades and a brighter NHL outlook. For now, while his skating is not a liability per se, he lacks the extra gear to separate from defenders. General observations: -Good hockey DNA. David's Dad Eduard played w0 pro seasons in Europe, including the KHL, DEL and the Olympics in 2006. -There is some suggestion that this kid may not be done growing. You never really know, but an extra inch could be a real plus. -If his boots are only average, then his fitness level will be one of the keys to this kid making it or not. A big summer will be critical. -A trusted colleague of mine who saw Lewandowski a lot in person last season said to me 'Oilers got a good one, keep an eye on him'. Noted. Projection: -A fourth line NHL-er? That is what his skill set would seem to project. If we further assess him by draft pedigree, about eighteen per cent of Round Four forward picks turn into NHL players. And as I have already mentioned, if Lewandowski arrives in that position on an ELC…that would be a significant advantage. -In the meantime, he has another full year in the WHL. Could he have a ticket to Bakersfield by the fall of 2026? -0- Next up…prospect #14 from my Cult of Hockey colleague David Staples. Now on Bluesky @ Also, find me on Threads @kleavins, Twitter @KurtLeavins, Instagram at LeavinsOnHockey, and Mastodon at KurtLeavins@ This article is not AI generated. Recently, at The Cult… STAPLES: Can the Edmonton Oilers win it all with such a top-heavy lineup LEAVINS: Will this Oilers prospect dog have his Day? Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025. Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.
New York Times
a day ago
- New York Times
Connor McDavid vs. Leon Draisaitl: Of the Oilers superstars, who will age better?
The Edmonton Oilers have been blessed with two franchise talents playing at elite levels for a decade. As Connor McDavid (who turns 29 in January) and Leon Draisaitl (who will be 30 in October) get older, it's worth asking the question: Which of the two will be more productive in their 30s? Through the 2024-25 season, both men have posted exceptional numbers that compare to all-time best offence. Draisaitl's comparables (in points per game, position and roster slot) through age 29 include brilliant names like Peter Forsberg and Nathan MacKinnon. The only names above McDavid in points per game are Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and a bunch of old-timey guys like Newsy Lalonde and Cy Denneny, who were skating around on bone skates 100 years ago. Advertisement Finding a true comparable is no easy chore, and that alone informs us about these two players. The fewer truly comparable players, the more unique and elite the player in question. Finding a comparable for McDavid is impossible, as his combination of speed, skill and offensive production are historically unique. He is one of one. If we use names from the past, we're left with shy numbers (Gilbert Perreault) or mind-blowing numbers from the highest-scoring era in history (Gretzky and Lemieux). The only other consistent Art Ross winner in the McDavid era is Nikita Kucherov, himself an outstanding offensive player for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is not similar in style to McDavid, but the output has been good enough to win three scoring championships during McDavid's time in the league. Kucherov, 32, is a few years further down the aging curve and that gives us an indication of what might be in the future for McDavid. McDavid's offensive talent is superior to Kucherov during the seasons when both men played in the league, but the winger still posted outstanding totals during these seasons. The most important item in this exercise is the exceptional offensive performance by Kucherov after age 27. Elite players enjoy a higher trajectory than mere mortals, and the career bell curve often shows a slower fade than most NHL players. Kucherov is showing that kind of career strength, and there's every chance McDavid reaches or exceeds his levels. There's a tendency to undervalue bigger forwards as they age, but the productivity levels of quality scorers with size has been strong over many decades. Phil Esposito was an elite scorer 55 years ago, and he was highly productive (34-44-78 in 80 games) at age 37. Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings scored 67 points in 81 games last year at age 37. Advertisement That said, Esposito and Kopitar played very different styles of hockey. Esposito's career ended less than one year after his age-37 campaign but this is a provably different era. By the time Draisaitl approaches that age, it's anyone's guess how much the game will have changed offensively. What we can track is Draisaitl's offensive output over the past four seasons in comparison to MacKinnon, who was born about two months before Edmonton's big centre. Both men show consistency despite the NHL's shifting sands in calling penalties that create power plays. Both Draisaitl and MacKinnon have elite teammates, and that can only help each man sustain current offensive levels. Both men are also speedsters, with NHL Edge placing Draisaitl's straight speed in the 92nd percentile (and 94th in the playoffs) and MacKinnon's in the 98th percentile. The MacKinnon comparison is less than ideal as a projection exercise, but there are strong indicators both men will be among the NHL's best for several seasons to come. Foot speed, conditioning and quality of linemates likely guarantee more elite seasons for Draisaitl. McDavid arrived in the NHL labeled as the next generational player and has delivered a decade of breathtaking hockey. His incredible skills are on display from October to June every year. Any reduction in performance can be explained through injuries and a league-wide reduction in power-play opportunities. The Oilers are a better team than in his early years, and the organization has strong wingers for the top lines. The Oilers captain is in an ideal situation, and should be elite offensively for the next five or six seasons. That will most likely be followed by a long and productive coda that takes him to his late 30s. Based on his ridiculous speed and hand-eye coordination, it's possible he plays to age 40 and beyond. Advertisement The numbers suggest McDavid will be the more productive player, but the fact Draisaitl is realistically in the conversation is a credit to the big man's determination and hard work. When he arrived in pro hockey, there were concerns about foot speed and endurance, and little mention of his now all-world shot and release. Draisaitl is more than the sum of his parts coming out of junior. His progression and sustained performance at the highest levels can be partially credited to McDavid. Like Gretzky during his early years with the Oilers, McDavid's presence and outrageous skills allowed talented teammates to improve just by playing with (and practicing against) the best player on the planet. Just as Gretzky inspired Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson and Paul Coffey, McDavid's talent elevated the team's best young talent. Draisaitl was the first example, and Evan Bouchard the latest. Draisaitl's career has flown far higher than anyone expected (except then-GM Craig MacTavish, who was lavish in his praise on draft day) and he should deliver strong offensive seasons through the end of the decade. After that, Draisaitl is likely to have enough speed and two-way acumen to play in the top six for several more years. McDavid is inevitable. His scoring rates are consistently in the top two or three among NHL scorers every season; he is the owner of five Art Ross trophies as leading scorer in the NHL, easily the most of his generation. The class of the next decade starts with McDavid. The numbers suggest he will ease into his 30s with remarkable grace. The great news is that Draisaitl won't be far behind. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Canadiens: Laine's Big Summer And Golf Tournament
It's been a good summer for Montreal Canadiens' sniper Patrik Laine. The big Finn spent most of his summer in town, regularly hitting the ice at the team's training facility in Brossard. Still, this past weekend, he was back in Finland for a very important event, the charity golf tournament he co-hosts with Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov.
