Edmonton Oilers: Will Lack of Right Wing Depth Force Chiarelli’s Hand?

The Edmonton Oilers didn’t have the most active offseason, signing a wealth of AHL free agents and just one NHL free agent.

With the season just weeks away, it appears that General Manager Peter Chiarelli is set on entering the 2017-18 campaign with the pieces he already has. However, it is concerning to note that the Oilers face a lack of depth on the right wing.

Leon Draisaitl is still projected as the team’s top-line RW, and Jesse Puljujarvi is next on the depth chart. After that, Zack Kassian and Jussi Jokinen are expected to fulfill duties on the bottom-six. Then, they have Iiro Pakarinen, as well as their 2017 first-rounder Kailer Yamamoto, who is expected to be a dark horse for a roster spot this year.

Is Edmonton Deep Enough on the Right Wing?

Edmonton Oilers

Out of these names, Draisaitl is the only legitimate proven NHL scorer. Puljujarvi has top-six potential, but he is still developing and trying to transition to the NHL. Kassian has also shown skill and flashes of offensive acumen, but is not a proven scorer. Instead, he relies on his two-way style and physicality. Jokinen has had a great career, but his numbers are on the decline, and one cannot be sure how well he will produce this season. And lastly, Iiro Pakarinen comes in clutch, but has not put up a lot of points.

Therefore, with the Oilers lacking a lot of RW depth, will Chiarelli’s hand be forced this year?

First off, Edmonton has enough depth right now to make it by. With Draisaitl on the top line with Connor McDavid, the Oilers top trio will be putting up elite point totals and emerge as one of the NHL’s deadliest combinations yet again. Also, Puljujarvi is coming off a solid year of development with the Condors and has had a lot more practice and experience coming into this season. In the end, he is expected to make more of an impact in 2017-18. Lastly, Kassian and Jokinen may not put up top-six totals, but they are skilled enough to fill out the bottom-six and add grit, physicality and experience.

In addition, the Oilers may be surprised and see a lot from Yamamoto and get a lot of offence out of him.

At some point in time, Edmonton may be forced to trade for a right winger with more scoring prowess, especially when it comes time for a Stanley Cup run. They will need offence and capability on all four lines, and that’s when the time will come for them to find a right winger.

Next: Edmonton Oilers: Can Jussi Jokinen Crack the Top Six?

Overall, Edmonton may need to make a deal at some point or find more depth further down the road, but for now, they should be fine to start the year.