Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Short Summary

Edmonton Oilers

2007 Version

Historical Review of Draft Results

Short Recap / Summary

Please reserve comment for a future post wherein I will request commentary on the review as a whole.

The Edmonton Oilers started out with a bang - 6 draft picks that are / will be / could be / should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame, two other players that would be stars on any other team and a few more good foot soldiers too boot - all inside our first five drafts. Those players, combined with some guy we will call 'Gretzky' would form the foundation of 5 Stanley Cup winning teams.

Sadly, it didn't last. The incredible start that the team had at the draft table ground to a halt quickly and thoroughly. The drought at the draft table would begin in 1984 and carry on through until, essentially, 1993. Exactly five players of any note were drafted by the Oilers between 1984 and 1992. Of those, only Rucinsky, had any real offensive talent. The rest of them, Buchberger, Van Allen, Podein & Maltby, were all pluggers.

1993 marked the beginning of what many would see as a turn-around for the club as the string of wasted 1st round picks was cut when Jason Arnott was chosen 7th overall. Ryan Smyth was picked in the 6th spot in 1994 and many thought the drought was over for good. From 1993 to 1996 the Oilers would draft the headline grabbing talent of Arnott, Satan, Smyth, Laraque, Poti and Pisani. Better talent from those four years than in all nine previous.

1997 through 2000 did not see stellar results produced from the picks made. One notable player would come out of each year: Chimera, Horcoff, Comrie and Lombardi. Chimera will be a career journeyman, Horcoff has surprised, Comrie's game is flawed and Lombardi has yet to effectively plateau. While Horcoff has grown into the role of being a first line center who drives results it is important to remember that it took some 10 years for him to get there. Not a great 4 years for the club.

2001 may mark the beginning of another string of good draft years for the club. Primarily because Ales Hemsky was picked 1st round that year. The guy was playing 'solid' hockey by his third NHL season and is the most skilled player the Oilers have drafted in a long, long while. If Stoll can recover from injury and Greene can continue to improve then 2002 becomes a momentum building year.

Down the road there are prospects like Pouliot, Stortini, Brodziak, Dubnyk, Schremp, Cogliano, Chorney, Petry, Gagner and Nash. After years scrabbling to survive one gets the sense the Oilers found a new source of food and water - the change is dramatic.

In summary, from:

-- 1979 to 1983 (5 Drafts) the team drafted far better than anyone could ever have expected and won 5 Stanley Cups;

-- 1984 to 1992 (9 drafts) the team drafted just 5 players of real value and set the table for years of being less than mediocre;

-- 1993 to 2000 (8 drafts) the team would draft some decent players but never achieve critical mass because a) not enough bunched together and b) some took a while to make the show;

-- 2001 to 2007 (7 drafts) the team may, though it is early yet to call it, be making a good run and setting the table for future success

Karma may, finally, just, be coming back around. Would be nice.

------

Edmonton Oilers Drafting Fun Fact:

These are the Mike's I know, I know...

Mike Toal ('79), Mike Winther ('80), Mike Sturgeon ('81), Mike Golden & Mike Flanagan ('83), Mike Ware ('85), Mike Greenlay ('86), Mike Tinkham ('87), Mike Glover ('88), Mike Power ('90), Mike Watt ('94), Mike Minard ('95), Mike Reisen ('97), Mike Henrich & Mike Morrison ('98), Mike Comrie ('99), Mike Svensk ('01)

The most popular name in Oiler draft history. At least Comrie can play - we almost went 0 for 17.

------

Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Introduction
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Draft Results Summation

Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Yrs 1979 to 1983
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Yrs 1984 to 1988
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Yrs 1989 to 1993
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Yrs 1994 to 1998
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Yrs 1999 to 2003
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Yrs 2004 to 2007

Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Draft Results By Year
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Draft Results By Pick
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Draft Results By Round
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Draft Results By Age
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Draft Results By Position
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Draft Results By League
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Draft Results By Country of Birth

Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Player Grading System
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Graded Players Summary
Edmonton Oilers 2007 HRDR - Data Set Changes

------

Have a great evening everyone.