Entry Draft: Who Should the Oilers Target in the 1st Round?

LW/RW, Oskar Olausson (ranked between 14 & 30)

Oskar Olausson is a 6’2, 181 lbs left-shot winger from Sweden who spent last season bouncing around in HV71’s system. He proved himself to be well ahead of his peer group when played in the U-20 circuit posting 14 goals and 27 points in 16 games and held his own when he played at the highest level with HV71 in the SHL where he posted 3 goals and 4 points in 16 games.

Where he looked most “at home” was in Sweden’s relegation league (the Allsvenskan) with Södertälje SK potting 3 goals and 6 points in his 11 games there. Conveniently,  his hometown HV71 team was relegated to this league for the 2021-22 season so Oskar seems like he’ll be in the perfect place in which to maximize his development.

Olausson is an exciting bundle of talent. He’s an excellent skater in virtually every dimension, he attacks the net, has a strong and varied shooting arsenal, and has hands that help him navigate contested ice. He specifically excels in playing a high-tempo game where he gets to focus on his strengths of skating the puck up the ice and scoring off the rush. Defensively, he works hard and is willing to get involved along the boards.

He’s not without his weaknesses, though. Like many shooters, Olausson’s playmaking game leaves something to be desired and, as such, most of his assists come off of rebounds or deflections. In line with this, the finer details to his game (defensive coverage & offensive decision-making) also need improvement.

I compare his game to that of Filip Forsberg in the manner in which he gains and attacks the zone. However, as he lacks Forsberg’s higher-level playmaking abilities, he likely doesn’t have that kind of ceiling of an offensive-driver. He strikes me as a great complimentary winger for a C that thrives off the rush and needs someone who will engage in the hard areas. Doesn’t that sound like something the Oilers could use?