The Edmonton Oilers enter day two of the 2026 NHL Draft having not made a single pick yet. Although the first round gets all of the attention, there is still plenty of value that can be had in the later rounds.
This is true for all teams but especially the Oilers, who despite having a relatively negative reputation at the NHL draft, there have been many players selected in the second round that have been pretty big hits when it is all said and done. Many of those have been in recent memory as well.
So, in honour of the Oilers not having a pick until the second round, here are a number of round two hits that the Oilers have had throughout their history.
Jarret Stoll
Drafted in the Second Round, 36th overall at the 2002 NHL Draft, the Oilers selected centre Jarret Stoll from the Western Hockey League's Kootenay Ice. Stoll was an overage player at 19 years old, who had become a high end scoring forward in the WHL scoring well over 250 points throughout his junior career.
He would spend two of the next three seasons after his draft developing in the American Hockey League, mainly due to the lockout before breaking out onto the scene with the Oilers in 2005-06. He scored 22 goals and 46 assists for 68 points in 82 games during the regular season before adding another 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 24 games during the Oilers 2006 Stanley Cup Finals run.
Although Still would never fully recreate the hype of that 2005-06 season, for a stretch of time, Stoll was a premier middle-six centre in the NHL. He would spend another 10 seasons playing with the Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, and Minnesota Wild. He would retire in 2016, finishing with 872 games played and having scored 144 goals and 244 assists for 388 points.
Jeff Petry
As his contract is set to expire this summer, the 38 year old Jeff Petry is likely set to retire at the end of this season but once he was a promising young prospect, drafted by the Oilers in the Second Round, 45th overall at the 2006 NHL Draft. He was drafted out of the United States Hockey League before spending multiple seasons in the NCAA with Michigan State University.
Petry would turn pro after the 2009-10 season and split time with the Oilers and their AHL affiliate in Springfield and Oklahoma City. He made the NHL full-time in 2011-12 and became a very reliable top-four defenceman for the Oil before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens for a Second Round pick and a Fourth Round pick at the 2015 NHL Draft.
He spent years with the Canadiens but has since had stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, and Minnesota Wild. If he chooses to retire this off-season, Petry will have played 1,048 NHL games and have scored 96 goals, 298 assists for 394 points.
Ryan McLeod
The 26 year old centre, Ryan McLeod was drafted by the Oilers in the Second Round, 40th overall at the 2018 NHL Draft. Playing his junior hockey primarily with the Brampton Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League, McLeod showed a lot of high end attributes that made him an exciting prospect for the Oilers with his size at 6'3, 204lbs and his quick feet.
After leaving the OHL, McLeod would spend a couple seasons up and down between the Oilers and the Bakersfield Condors. He made the Oilers full-time in 2022-23 and quickly slotted into a third line centre role. He was an effective secondary scoring option and high end defensive play, playing a big part in the Oilers penalty killing shutdown efforts. Before being dealt to the Buffalo Sabres in their cap crunch in 2024 for prospect Matt Savoie.
Since the trade, McLeod has taken off playing in a second line centre role and has set new career highs in goals (20), assists (40) and points (54) with the Sabres. It should also be noted that the Oilers have basically been trying to replace McLeod since he was dealt. However, if Savoie hits his potential ceiling, like he showed he was capable of down the stretch, he could make the Oilers look like geniuses.
Oilers second round pick history
The Oilers have been able to add legitimate talent through the second round of the NHL draft with many other players not listed above. Names like; Anton Lander, Martin Marincin, Tyler Pitlick, Matt Greene, and others.
There are plenty of players available who will be selected in the second round who go on to have impactful NHL careers. Hopefully, the Oilers can use the 52nd overall pick on one of those players.
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