Edmonton Oilers forward Drake Caggiula was one of the biggest NCAA signings of 2016. Here’s how the rookie stacked up in his first NHL campaign.
After an impressive preseason, Caggiula won himself a spot on the Oilers opening night roster. However, he didn’t start the year with the team right away, due to the fact that he was recovering from an injury suffered during training camp. However, when he finally did come on board, he proved that he deserved to be in the lineup night in and night out.
Overall Impact
Perhaps Caggiula’s best quality that got him a roster spot was his determination and persistence. The 22-year-old knew there were no guarantees to play full-time NHL hockey when he signed, but he made that his goal. And with his hard work and effort, he reached that objective.
As a part of the team, Caggiula filled out the bottom-six, providing a lot of depth. He could also act as a third-line centre, but mainly made a big impact on the wing. His skill, physicality and overall will to play eventually led him to the top six. He has proven his ability to fight for the puck, win battles and play until the game is finished.
Edmonton Oilers
Stats
Statistically, Caggiula didn’t put up horrible numbers for his first NHL season. In 60 games, he posted seven goals and 18 points and was a plus-3. On top of that, he finished the season with 97 hits. One of the concerns for the 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward was that he wouldn’t be able to stand up to the physicality of the NHL. However, he was a very aggressive player and could match up against any opponent.
Defensively, there are areas where he can improve. His Corsi was below 50 percent, and his relative Corsi sat at a -2.6. Caggiula also gave away the puck 25 times this season and had a turnover plus-minus of -.23 per 60 minutes. That isn’t good; he needs to do more to take better care of the puck and maintain possession. If he can do that, more scoring opportunities will come.
One area where Caggiula did well was in the playoffs. In 13 postseason games, Caggiula posted three goals and 25 hits, as well as 22 shots on goal. His shooting percentage of 13.6 percent wasn’t the worst stat in the world, and he showed true potential and eventually earned a spot on the top line.
Overall Grade: B+
For a rookie season, Caggiula had an outstanding campaign and shows a lot of promise in his future with the team. He plays with a lot of physicality and speed, as well as momentum. However, he does need to improve defensively and could do more to produce opportunities, especially to stay on the top six.