Revisiting the 2020 NHL entry draft - how did the Oilers make out?
By Phil Gretzky
Round two - no pick, traded away to Detroit along with Sam Gagner (second tour of duty) for Ryan Kuffner and Andreas Athanasiou. The pick would be flipped to LA who would use it in the draft.
Round three - no pick, traded away to San Jose for their picks in the fourth and fifth rounds of this draft
Round four - Carter Savoie, 100th overall (this was previously San Jose's pick, their own pick was traded away to Detroit along with Kyle Brodziak in exchange for Mike Green)
Not much to say here. Savoie's ELC was up after this season and after not playing a game for the Oilers Savoie was not issued a QO and mere days later signed a contract to play in Europe. Worth noting that the Oilers traded for his brother Matt in the Ryan Mcleod trade to Buffalo. Usher one Savoie out the door, and welcome another one inside. Lots of irony there.
Trending up or down? Definitely trending down, his NHL career is over unless he sets the Finnish pro leagues on fire.
Who did the Oilers miss out on? No one of any consequence. Most teams missed on their picks in this round - in fact, only two players who were drafted in this round have even played NHL games and even then at this point, they're nothing more than AHL bubble players as both guys played most of the year in the AHL.
Round five - two picks, Tyler Tullio (126th overall)
Not much to say here. After wrapping up a junior career in which he ended with 42 goals and 86 points in 65 games, Tullio spent the last two seasons in Bakersfield largely spinning his wheels, with point totals of 26 and 21 respectively with his +/- going down from +2 to -1. Nothing special so far, he has been more valuable to the Oilers organization as a trade chip, being the other piece going to Buffalo along with Ryan Mcleod in exchange for Matthew Savoie. Can't truly declare him a lost cause at this point, he just might take a step in the Buffalo organization and prove us wrong, but so far he hasn't really impressed and hasn't played a game at the NHL level yet.
Trending up or down? Down, thus far
Maxim Berezkin, 138th overall
Berezkin is an interesting prospect, and it's tough to get a handle on exactly where he is, but there is a glimmer of hope with this player. He's moved his way through the Russian junior and minor leagues and looks like he just earned a regular spot on his KHL team, Yaroslav Lokomotiv, with 30 points in 62 KHL games. This is his third straight season of point increases, going from two to 26 to 30 points over the last three seasons. What's really intriguing for him as a prospect, though is he put up five goals and 16 points in 20 playoff games for YL. So he followed up a solid regular season with a breakout playoffs. Only time will tell whether he can build on that in his career. He currently holds no contract for the Oilers organization but remains one of the forwards on their reserve list. If he can breakout with a regular season producing at the same rate or better as he did in the KHL playoffs last year, then the Oilers just might sign him to a short term two way contract and bring him over to Bakersfield to see if he can translate his offence to the North American ice surface. We might be able to salvage something out of these lower rounds just yet.
Trending up or down? Trending up, slightly. Player to watch over the next two years.
Who did the Oilers miss out on? No one of any consequence has since emerged from this round. Only four picks from this round have played NHL games and only two have played more than 10 - and those two are nothing more than AHL bubble players at this point.