As the 2021/22 season comes to a close, let’s break down the Edmonton Oilers 2021 draft selection‘s seasons and grade the picks.
Round 1 Pick 22 – Xavier Bourgault (Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL)
Edmonton’s 1st round pick in 2021 has been nothing short of exceptional this season, posting a well-balanced 27 goals and 26 assists in 33 games so far with Shawinigan. The 6′ right-shooting centre was even given the honour of representing Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships, a tournament where he was injured in the very first game of the tournament, robbing Oilers fans the opportunity to see him against top competition in Rodgers Place. His 27 goals has him 20th in QMJHL scoring despite playing nearly 20 games less than the rest of his competition. Despite the QMJHL being a notoriously high scoring league, Bourgault great season sets him on an NHLe of 37 points in an 82 game NHL season. Bourgault is turning out to be a great late first round selection for the Oilers.
Rating: A
Round 3 Pick 90 – Luca Munzenberger (University of Vermont, NCAA)
The 6’2″ German has had a very quiet season after being drafted 90th in the 2021 draft. Despite putting up a goal and an assists in his 2 game World Juniors, which were shut down due to COVID, Munzenberger has a measly 3 points in 32 games with the University of Vermont. Most notably, Munzenberger is -17 this season with 45 penalty minutes for Vermont. Munzenberger has the second worst plus minus on his team and first in penalty minutes, with 20 more than his next closest teammate. On the contrary Munzenberger was second on team Germany with his point-per-game pace, falling just short of Alexander Blank for top scorer on the team and contributing on 66% of the team’s goals. The 19 year-old Left shot defensemen still has a long road of development before he cracks the Oilers lineup in the future.
Rating: C
Round 4 Pick 116 – Jake Chiasson (Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL)
After recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in Oilers training camp, Jake Chiasson has potted 3 goals alongside 6 assists in his 14 games since returning to the Wheat Kings lineup. Last season Chiasson, no relation to former Oiler Alex Chiasson, the Abbotsford, BC product 20 points in 23 games, earning him some ice on the Wheat Kings top line alongside Ottawa Senators prospect Ridly Grieg. With the amount of time missed its hard to see what the Oilers really have in Chiasson at this point, so only time will tell if the 6’2″ right winger will crack the Oilers roster.
Rating: B
Round 6 Pick 180 – Matvei Petrov (North Bay Battalion, OHL)
Petrov has been nothing short of astounding in his transition to North American hockey, netting 36 goals and 47 assists, while also being +28 this season. Petrov’s 83 points has him third in scoring on his North Bay club, making him an early candidate for steal of the draft. The 6’2″ Russian earned himself a 3 year $843,333 contract with the Oilers after a smooth transition from the MHL in Russia. Petrov’s current scoring pace nets him an NHLe of 38 points in a full 82 game NHL season, just out pacing first rounder Xavier Bourgault. The right shooting winger has a good chance in my eyes to push for a roster spot come training camp.
Rating: A+
Round 6 Pick 186 – Shane Lachance (Youngstown Phantoms, USHL)
The 6’4″ Shane Lachance brings lots of size to the Oilers, a team who lacks lots of size in the bottom 6. Lachance’s 22 points in 49 USHL games hasn’t gone unnoticed, as the 18 year old left winger has committed to Boston University Terriers for the 2022/23 season. The Andover Massachusetts product may need to bulk up a touch, weighing it at only 190 pounds, but his size is very enticing to the Oilers faithful. I am truly excited to watch Lachance’s development at the college level and hopefully on to the Oilers lineup in the future.
Rating: B+
Round 7 Pick 212 – Maximus Wanner (Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL)
Maximus Wanner has had himself a decent season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, posting a solid 6 goals and 17 assists in his 55 game campaign. Despite his results being overshadowed by 2022 projected first rounder Denton Mateychuk, Wanner is third is scoring among Warriors defensemen. His current pace sets him up for an NHLe of 10 points in 82 games. The 6’3″ right shooting defensemen has a lot of potential to slide up the depth chart of a right side that has no high-end prospects.