Round 5, 149th overall – Graham Mcphee
LWer McPhee appears to have been another flyer taken. He started out in the US National development program, with a career-high of 5-0-5 in 20 games with 16 PIMs and a +1. Nothing to write home about.
He then went the US College Route, playing at Boston College for 4 seasons and wrapping that up this past season. He had 1 season where he did well – 2017-18 when he put up 12-12-24 in 36 games with a career-high 47 PIMs and a -1. Other than that, he’s never put up more than 12 points in a season, so that 1 good season for him was obviously a fluke.
I can’t find a good scouting report for this player but knowing his track record do you really want to read it anyway? I don’t.
Going forward: There isn’t anything to go forward on. After periodically checking the Oilers reserve list, McPhee was there but he had to be signed by August 15th of this year to have the Oilers retain his rights. This was a pretty easy decision not to sign him, and who can blame the club for that? Hope he got good marks at Boston College because there isn’t a career as a hockey player for him.
Trending: Career over on August 15, 2020.
Round 6, 153rd overall – Aapeli Rasanen
This Finnish right center took a rather unorthodox route in his development. He played in the USHL for 1 season where he put up 25 points in 38 games with 30 PIMs and a fantastic +21, with another 4 points in 13 playoff games.
He then graduated to the US College level, where he was a teammate of Graham McPhee’s at Boston College. Rasanen has fared much better at BC than McPhee, though, as he put up totals of 16 and 7 points before breaking out this year putting up 11-13-24 in 34 games with 14 PIMs and a +14.
He doesn’t have a contract yet but his timing is very good as he’s got 1 more year of US College hockey left. If he can follow up next season with boxcars as good or better than this year, I’m willing to bet Holland gives him an ELC prior to the deadline for retaining his rights which is August 15, 2021. His scouting report is here.
Going forward: If Rasanen can build on this season he’ll graduate to Bakersfield and I could see him being a bottom 6 forward for the Oilers in a few seasons. He could make it into the top 6, but that would be as a winger as there’s no way he’s unseating McDrai in their spots. Hard to say exactly what we have in him just yet, but so far so good.
Trending: Up
Puck Prose
Round 7, 183rd overall – Vincent Desharnais
Ahh, Round 7. This is where you take the extreme flyers, and that is what appears to have happened with Desharnais.
The right defenceman started out in the BCHL with 5 points in 54 games and 52 PIMs. Something you would expect as this gentleman is a massive 6’7″ and 228 lbs.
He then graduated to the US College route, where for Providence College he underwhelmed.
He put up 8 career goals when you add up his totals all 4 years (that’s 5, 2, 1, and 0 if you don’t believe me) and never more than 11 points in a season. Not exactly totals that scream NHL career. For the record, he did have 36 PIMs in 38 games that same season.
Still, in today’s NHL game you have to be able to play hockey as well as hit and fight. The days of players who couldn’t play hockey but could hit and fight and that’s it are over.
Nonetheless, the Oilers took a flyer on him by signing him to a 1 year, 2-way ELC for this past season. Unsurprisingly, he underwhelmed, playing 6 games for the Condors and putting up 0 offence. Had 7 PIMs in those 6 games though. For whatever that’s worth, which isn’t much.
Not surprisingly with a pretty forgettable player on their hands and with a crowded blue line in Bakersfield, the Condors sent him down to Wichita in the ECHL. There he put up 0 goals and 13 assists in 31 games with 24 PIMs and a -9 – and this was after he finished even in those 6 games in Bakersfield. Now how do you finish with a lower +/- in a lower league against weaker competition? That doesn’t make sense to me, but that’s just pettiness in the grand scheme of things with this player.
Puckpedia confirms his contract was not renewed for next season. Can you blame the organization? Not one bit.
Don’t feel too bad, though. For the record, only 2 teams have players drafted in the 7th round that year who have played games in the NHL, so the Oilers are not alone in missing on this pick.
Going forward: There is no going forward. He’s done.
Trending: Career over on August 15, 2020.
Bottom line
This draft was much weaker than 2015’s. Depending on how the situation goes with Puljujarvi, we may or may not have any guys on the Oilers roster this year from this draft. Most of the players trending up are longer-term projects, it seems, and it is disappointing that only 1 pick from Round 5 and below is trending up.
But, that part of things is not the end of the world. This draft got some good players into our prospect pool, and we’ve got some good guys in the pipeline from this draft right now. The guys to watch are Poolparty, Benson, Niemelainen, and Berglund. Rasanen would be a great story if he made it to the big league and would help to salvage the latter 3 rounds of this draft. Stay tuned as I move on to 2017’s draft in the future.