Oilers Could Walk Away With the Biggest Draft Steal

Round one of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft shaped up to be a very surprising round. Not because of any trades (there were none) but because of each team sticking to their guns and picking the guy they wanted.

Related: 4 Items On The Oilers' 2023 Off-Season To-Do List

With the Edmonton Oilers not picking until 56th overall, there are a plethora of scenarios that play out. Almost all of them end with the Oilers selecting a highly talented forward who is undersized

Andrew Cristall is still on the board, undrafted after one round. Cristall finished 6th in Western Hockey League (WHL) scoring - behind Connor Bedard, Chase Wheatcroft, Zach Benson, Logan Stankoven and Riley Heidt. He finished three points behind Benson playing six less games. Some may consider Cristall's 5-foot-10 and 165 pound frame small. He is definitely light, but his height won't be an issue in the NHL.

NHLe is a metric used to compare the points a player scored in junior to what they could equal if they spent that same season in the NHL. According to the Hockey Prospecting website, he has an NHLe of 43. That means that his 95 points in 54 WHL games is equal to 43 points in 82 NHL games. Getting that kind of production out of a 2nd round draft pick is highway robbery.

Gavin Brindley put up 38 points in 41 games for the University of Michigan in 2022-23. He is known for his defensive game and high-motor. At 5-foot-9 it's easy to see that he has fallen out of the first round because of his size. The potential with Brindley is really high, considering what he's already achieved at the collegiate level.

Related: Oilers' 2023 Off-Season Guide

Lukas Dragicevic is a 6-foot-2 and 190 pound right-handed defenceman. He is aggressive while playing offence.  He has great puck passing skills and puck carrying skills. He led his WHL team in scoring with 75 points in 68 games played. 

With Day Two of the NHL Entry Draft set to get started, keep your eye on these three players. If one of Cristall, Brindley or Dragicevic fall to the Oilers, they could be the steal of the draft outside of the first round.