The Edmonton Oilers enter the 2026 NHL Draft with just four selections at their disposal. This is not uncommon for teams that are where they are in their Stanley Cup contention cycle but the club's prospect pool has taken a hit as a result.
When the Oilers have drafted, they have seemingly found some success picking from the Ontario Hockey League and specifically, the London Knights. Currently on their roster they have multiple former OHLers with names such as Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard, the later being a Knights alumni.
As well, the Oilers drafted both Sam O'Reilly and William Nicholl at the 2023 NHL Draft, using O'Reilly to acquire Isaac Howard and with Nicholl progressing well. Luckily, at the 52nd overall pick, there is another London Knights forward that could interest the Oilers, along with other potential players. That player is Jaxon Cover.
Jaxon Cover scouting report
Growing up in the Cayman Islands, Cover was not really exposed to ice hockey, having just picked up the sport in recent years. This has made him a very interesting player, slotting in at 41st on eliteprospect.com consolidated ranking list. This comes after a very solid debut OHL season that saw him score 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points in 67 games. The previous year he played prep school hockey with St. Andrew's College.
Cover plays an incredibly raw dual-threat offensive game, relying a ton on his high skill level to make plays and carry the puck up ice. When in possession, he can make really smart passes, flashing good offensive vision and the ability to carry and improve on his playmaking game. Cover also possesses a strong shot and goal scoring ability.
His raw overall game means that he has some gaps to overcome and it also makes him a kind of one dimensional player at the moment. He boasts an intriguing frame at 6'1 185lbs, he could still add a few inches and pounds, something that would give him some more projectability. If he can add a more refined two-way style of play to his toolkit, it would help his projection as well. He does flash good instincts and hockey sense with the ability to steal and intercept pucks, a skill that will help him tremendously.
NHL projection
Given the development needed in his game, it makes Cover's NHL projection murky and makes him a bit of a project but it also means that he has plenty of potential. His high skill ceiling makes him a genuinely interesting prospect who is capable of playing in a top six role at the NHL level. If he hits his ceiling he could be a great complimentary piece to play alongside McDavid or Draisaitl.
On the positive side, Cover comes from the London Knights who have a long history of developing NHL prospects and they will be in charge of his development again next season. Afterwards, he is committed to Penn State which has a good track record of developing highly skilled players, such as projected first overall pick for the 2026 NHL Draft; Gavin McKenna.
If the Oilers take him, they would need to preach some patience but the talent and potential is there in abundance and he could prove worthy of a top 64 selection.
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