An early look at Edmonton Oilers prospects after the 2025 NHL Draft

New York Times

10 hours ago

The Edmonton Oilers selected five players at the 2025 NHL Draft this weekend, all coming on Saturday. All new Oilers prospects are long shots, but Kyle Brodziak was taken No. 214 in 2003 and went on to play in over 900 NHL games. It's possible the Oilers drafted a gem Saturday, although the identity of that player isn't known today.
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For Oilers fans, it'll be years before these young men push into pro hockey and begin the climb to the NHL. Here's a first blush look at the Oilers' prospects after the 2025 draft.
The Oilers drafted a quick, smart two-way forward with their first pick again this year. Tommy Lafreniere's scoring for the Kamloops Blazers (24-32-56 in 68 games) was a close match for Sam O'Reilly (chosen by Edmonton in the first round one year ago) in his draft year. There are other similarities, including being right-handed and playing centre. Lafreniere is undersized, and the scoring indicates a checking role in pro hockey, but he was a reasonable bet for the organization at No. 83. Corey Pronman had him No. 78 in his final mock draft at The Athletic.
The Oilers stayed in the WHL to draft the Saskatoon Blades' Lewandowski, a 6-foot-1, 177-pound winger with some ingenuity and skill. He's a good skater. Pronman ranked him No. 88 on his final list at The Athletic, while Scott Wheeler had him No. 90 on his list. There are those in the hockey industry who believe he will have a breakout season offensively in 2025-26. One scout told me, 'he can control the pace of the game with the puck on his stick and leverages his body extremely well in offensive zone cycle situations. Can distribute at an elite level but can also finish.' The buzz around Lewandowski is a little stronger than Lafreniere, so fans should watch those offensive numbers next season. If he spikes, this might be a draft steal.
Barnett is a product of the USA Hockey development system and brings size and a range of coverage ability to the game. He can punish opponents with hits, is strong along the wall and in open-ice coverage. Barnett can move the puck capably and has good anticipation, but is not used as an offensive weapon. Pronman had him No. 119 in his mock draft. Barnett doesn't have a standout skill, which is why he was available here for Edmonton.
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Late in Saturday's draft, Edmonton chose a goaltender. It's an annual tradition for the team. The Oilers have drafted a goaltender (at least one) in the last four drafts, and at least one in 10 of the last 12 drafts. In 2014, the club took two goalies with only six picks.
Salonen is an older prospect for the draft (he will be 20 in December) and plays in the second Finnish league (Mestis). He delivered a .909 save percentage in 2024-25 for Hokki Kajaani, a team that was forced to use six goalies during the season. It's safe to call Salonen a distant bell prospect, but he'll have a chance to impress the Oilers this winter.
Aidan Park is the nephew of former NHL player Richard Park and is an intriguing late-round selection. He delivered strong offence for the USHL Green Bay Gamblers in 2024-25, scoring 33 goals and 66 points. He followed up his season by playing three playoff games for the WHL Calgary Hitmen. Park is an older prospect for the draft (turned 19 in January), but is also a right-handed centre with enough offence to be considered a reasonable bet for a late-round selection.
A group of young prospects who are not ticketed for pro hockey this season offer the team some hope for the future.
O'Reilly had a strong year for the OHL London Knights, playing a key two-way role on the team. He scored 71 points in 62 games during the regular season, and helped the Knights to the 2025 Memorial Cup. Teammate William Nichol, also an Oilers prospect, was on the team and flourished after being a draft-and-follow pick in 2024.
Samuel Jonsson might be that rare late-round draft pick who lands as an NHL player. The goaltender was chosen No. 158 in 2022 by the Oilers and has blossomed as a legit prospect for the team. He's under the radar for many fans, but is one of the most valuable prospects in the system.
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Maxim Berezkin is NHL-ready, and he could also lay claim to being the team's top prospect — if he ever signs. The big winger plays a feature role for a great team in the KHL, but has (so far) gone unsigned by Edmonton. If he signs a contract with the Oilers, the depth chart on the wing changes immediately. He's NHL-ready. Needs to sign.
The definition of a prospect for our purposes is a player who has appeared in fewer than 50 NHL games. Age is not a consideration.
Matt Savoie is the team's top prospect and has one full year of experience with the Bakersfield Condors. He leads the group of prospects with a chance to play NHL games as early as the 2025-26 season.
Savoie is a plug-and-play option for this fall in Edmonton. His impressive offence in the AHL last season was the most from any player age 20 (Bradly Nadeau, 19, had a higher total) in the league.
David Tomasek is a substantial player who may never play in the minors. The nature of his contract with Edmonton suggests the organization plans on having him on the opening night roster. Tomasek is a quality offensive option, having led one of the two best European leagues in points on year ago. He's 29, so it's beyond now or never for this player as an NHL contributor.
Atro Leppanen is 26 and coming off an outrageous offensive season in Finland's top league. He's an offensive defenceman and could push for NHL work in a crowded part of Edmonton's depth chart. His offensive acumen would be well suited to a strong skater with good coverage skills, but there's much we don't know about this player (can he play his offside? how good are his boots?) that training camp will solve.
Alec Regula was a waiver pickup during the 2024-25 season by general manager Stan Bowman who spent the entire season on the injured list. A likely waiver worry this fall, the organization should get a long look at him before the 2025-26 season opens.
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Roby Jarventie was a bet made by the Oilers that didn't look promising, but his improved health has him back in the system. If he's healthy, Jarventie could land a job on the top three lines in Edmonton this fall.
Noah Philp is NHL-ready, and a right-handed centre who can kill penalties and win battles is lose to a perfect fit for this Oilers team. He has a real chance at the No. 4 centre job in 2025-26. Josh Samanski is a giant two-way centre from the German league; he might give Philp a run for his money at that spot.
Beau Akey and Damien Carfagna are both puck-moving blueliners with wheels. It's anyone's guess how the Condors coaching staff will use them this coming year, but if they're regulars along with Leppanen, Bakersfield's defence is going to be dynamic.
Quinn Hutson is a college scorer and something of a wild card, but it's fair to note that any winger who gets a full look on a line with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl could surprise offensively. He would be behind Savoie in the pecking order entering camp, but things can change.
Viljami Marjala is an extreme playmaker (44 assists and eight goals last season in the Liiga) but is listed as a winger. Some mystery about deployment, how much he transports the puck, but he appears to be money in the offensive zone.
Bowman has lit a fire in the organization since taking over, and there are signs that real innovation is taking place. A recent article by Daniel Nugent-Bowman at The Athletic suggests the team is looking to kick-start the system over the next several years.
Next week, I'll rank Edmonton's top 20 prospects. The list will be far different than the one I did a year ago.
(Photo of Aidan Park: Jeff Vinnick / NHLI via Getty Images)