When the NHL season is over, the NHL Draft is next on the agenda for the league, and teams prepare to welcome the next wave of young talent to their organizations. Every year brings a new and unique class, especially for a team like the Edmonton Oilers. This is a team that had a lot of high picks throughout the 2010s, which resulted in some big names for them later on. But which class was the best for them after all these years?
Related: 3 Times the Edmonton Oilers Drafted an All-Star in the Third Round
The past 15 years have brought in some of the most recognizable faces in the NHL, but also arguably some of the biggest busts the league has seen. Which year did Edmonton management pick perfection? Here’s the top five draft classes for the Oilers since 2010.
5. 2017 – Kailer Yamamoto and Stuart Skinner
There weren’t any real flashy picks that came out of the 2017 NHL Draft for the Oilers like the other classes, but they managed to have some success. They started out by choosing Kailer Yamamoto at 22nd overall, a small forward from the Spokane Chiefs. He stuck with the team through the 2022-23 season, hitting a career-high in points a season before with 41. He has 137 career points to this point and is currently in the Utah Mammoth organization.
The other notable selection in this draft came in the third round, when the Oilers stayed in the Western Hockey League (WHL) and picked none other than Stuart Skinner. After spending a few years developing, Skinner made his NHL debut in the 2020-21 season and would slowly integrate himself into the starting role through the following seasons. He has a career .906 save percentage (SV%) and ranks second in Oilers history for playoff wins (26) and shutouts (four). Skinner has backstopped Edmonton to two straight Western Conference titles and was also selected to the All-Star Game in 2023. He has certainly made his mark in Oilers’ history.
These two players alone solidify it as a top-five class in the past 15 years. A pair of solid picks that contributed to a contending Edmonton team. But don’t worry, it gets better.
4. 2014 – Leon Draisaitl
The Oilers made six selections in this draft, with just two of them ever making an appearance in the NHL. Lucky for them, one of those players was Leon Draisaitl. Selected third overall, Draisaitl immediately became a name to be known. He has been named to five All-Star Games, won a Hart Trophy, an Art Ross Trophy, a Rocket Richard Trophy, and a Ted Lindsay Award. He has had multiple 100-point and 50-goal seasons and is one of the biggest names in the league right now. He is also creeping up on 1,000 points. Additionally, he recently signed a record-setting eight-year extension to remain in Edmonton.
The other player to play in the NHL from this class is William Lagesson. He was chosen 91st overall and has appeared in 107 NHL games with a handful of teams to this point. The fourth-round pick is still finding his footing, with just 12 points over his career.
Despite a quiet class, the greatness of Draisaitl carries it and keeps it from being a big bust.
3. 2011 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Oscar Klefbom
It was close, but ultimately the recent strength of the 2018 class pushed them over the top and edged out this 2011 class. However, that is not to discount what came out of 2011 for the Oilers. For starters, everyone’s favourite ageless wonder was chosen first overall by Edmonton. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has stuck with his team through the good and the bad and has been exactly what the Oilers have needed all these years. He has 748 career points and has been a part of all the huge moments in Oil Country. “Nuge” is approaching 1,000 games played, and all signs point to him finishing his career where it began. It was a match made in heaven from the beginning.
The draft success didn’t stop with Nugent-Hopkins. Just 18 picks later, Oscar Klefbom was chosen by Edmonton. Fans remember the Swedish defenceman well as he was a key piece of the back end for seven seasons. His mighty slapshot and stifling defence made him a beloved player to have. Despite injuries cutting his promising career way too short, he recorded 156 career points and can still be found at the odd game at Rogers Place cheering on his team.
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The final player of note from 2011 is Tobias Rieder. A scrappy forward picked in the fourth round, he was traded by the Oilers a couple seasons later and then returned in 2018-19 and played a season with the team. He has played just under 500 career games and has registered 145 points to date.
Fans with unwavering and unending love for “Nuge” and Klefbom (including me) will wish this class was higher.
2. 2018 – Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod
Ultimately, it was recent play and the smaller, more skilled class that gave 2018 an edge. The centrepiece of this class was none other than Evan Bouchard, picked at 10th overall from the London Knights. It only took a few years for him to emerge as one of the league’s elite offensive defencemen. Bouchard and his 238 career points are the quarterback of Edmonton’s offence and always a threat to score from outside. He has finished top 12 in Norris Trophy voting each of the last two seasons as well.
The rest of this class has big potential, too. Ryan McLeod was taken 40th overall and was a solid role player for the Oilers. He just recently set a career-high in points playing for the Buffalo Sabres with 53. Despite being a bottom-six guy for Edmonton, things are looking up for the 25-year-old.
Then, just 22 picks later, Olivier Rodrigue joined McLeod on the team and remains in the system to this day. Though he has appeared in just two NHL games thus far, he is a young goalie with a lot of promise in a system that desperately needs stability at the position.
And finally, the sixth round saw Michael Kesselring picked by Edmonton. Though he never appeared in a game for the Oilers, he has recorded back-to-back 20-plus point seasons for the Arizona Coyotes/Utah Mammoth organization and continues to improve on the blue line.
So all in all, great picks from Oilers’ management despite two of them flourishing elsewhere.
1. 2015 – Connor McDavid
It’s pretty easy to put a draft class with the greatest player of a generation at the top spot. Edmonton won the right to choose Connor McDavid first overall in this draft, making him likely the greatest draft choice in their franchise’s history in the process. And the rest is history: five-time Art Ross Trophy, three-time Hart Trophy, five-time NHL First-Team All-Star, a Rocket Richard Trophy, and many more honours along the way for the Oilers captain. He has led his team to back-to-back Cup Finals, and will hopefully be around for much more in the coming years.
McDavid alone makes this a successful draft for Edmonton management, but they didn’t stop there. They would select defencemen Caleb Jones in the fourth round, Ethan Bear in the fifth round, and John Marino in the sixth round. All three have at least six seasons of experience and over 50 points in the big leagues, most notably Marino, who has 121 NHL points. They have bounced around the league a bit but have managed to remain reliable options for any team they have been on.
With the generational choice McDavid was, combined with three consecutive sturdy defencemen picked, the 2015 NHL Draft takes the cake for the biggest success for the Oilers’ front office. It is a tough one to beat.
Honourable Mentions: 2010 and 2013
There are a pair of classes worth mentioning in this time period that had some good picks that made an impact in one way or another. The first is the 2010 Draft class. This one was kicked off at first overall with Taylor Hall going to Edmonton. He would spend six seasons with the team, becoming a fan favourite and making one All-Star Game in 2011. He recorded 328 points as an Oiler.
The other notable picks from the 2010 class include some shorter-term Oilers who have a bit of tenure in the league. Players such as Tyler Pitlick, Martin Marincin, and Brandon Davidson. Pitlick is the only one to record over 100 points.
As for the 2013 class, two players are noteworthy with the first still playing for Edmonton. Darnell Nurse has been a staple on the Oilers’ blue line ever since he joined the team that drafted him seventh overall. He has exactly 300 points to date, and though there have been ups and downs, the team has had lots of success with him on the back end. He is a consistent producer on offence and steps up when he’s needed.
The other name to remember from 2013 is forward Anton Slepyshev. Chosen in the third round, he spent three seasons with Edmonton and was a decent piece in the bottom-six. He is especially remembered for his contributions to the Oilers’ 2016-17 playoff run in which he scored three goals. Not a big name, but someone to know in the team’s history.
It’s hard to know whether the last few drafts have been successful or not yet as the draftees are still young and developing, so the list is primarily based in the 2010s where the proven talent is. The Oilers have just three selections in this year’s draft, picking in the third, sixth, and seventh rounds. Who knows? The 2025 class could be number one on a list like this years from now. Nothing would make Edmonton fans happier.
