Oil On Whyte
Fansided

Revisiting the 2022 NHL entry draft - how did the Oilers make out?

Ah 2022 - the end of the pandemic lockdowns. Finally most if not all of the jobs that were present prior to the pandemic came back. The NHL realigned it's divisions to cross border divisions once again, and a full capacity of fans were allowed back in, masking and vaccination protocols notwithstanding - and the players had to follow the same protocols. As for the Oilers, Ken Holland continued to weave his magic remaking the Oilers in his image - and considering that the Oilers had finally made the playoffs for two years in a row at this point, I'd say that was a good thing. Let's see how this draft worked out.

By Phil Gretzky

2024 Stanley Cup Final - Media Day
2024 Stanley Cup Final - Media Day / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next

Seventh round - Joel Maata, 222nd overall

Maata has taken a very interesting route through his player development. He hasn't played a single game in his home country of Finland, choosing instead to start his hockey career in the USHL where the forward showed some potential (albeit with a "project" label attached to him).

In his first season in the USHL for the Sioux City Musketeers, he put up 11 goals and 25 points in 43 games with a -8, then followed that up with 9-11-20 in 52 games with a -3. He then chose to go to the US College Route for the University of Vermont, putting up even more unspectacular numbers in three years there so far, putting no more than seven goals and 14 points in a season - both not so coincidentally in the same season - in which he played 36 games, which stands as his US College high at this point. Even more disappointing is that Maata has been between -4 and -10 during those three years.

It's easy to see why Maata was a seventh-round pick - with these kinds of numbers he's really nothing more than a throw against the dartboard, seeing if he sticks. He remains on the Oilers reserve list, however unlike Yevseyev or Jonsson, he's not one of a single digit group of guys as the Oilers have 10 guys on the reserve list at the forward position, so unless Maata moves the needle significantly either offensively or defensively and breaks out in his last year of US college hockey, I don't see him as having a pro career of any sort, unless the Oilers sign him to Fort Wayne as ECHL fodder. Perhaps Maata regrets the route he took in his development and would've been better off staying in Finland - but that's only a question he can answer.

Trending up or down? Down for sure at this point. His pro dreams aren't over, but they are on life support. He's going to have to break out in his last year of US College hockey, so he sets himself apart in some way from the rest of his competition on the reserve list. Perhaps when I revisit this series in the future I'll know if I was right about him or not.

Home/Editorials