Ex-Oilers General Manager Peter Chiarelli had a much better draft record than trade record while in Edmonton.

The NHL entry draft is a big day. Young players are excited because they are one step closer to the NHL. Teams are excited by the young talent they just selected that could help out their organization. 

Peter Chiarelli was the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers from 2015 to January 2019. He did much better at drafting talent than trading for it, where Ken Holland has had much more success with trades. Let's take a look at the top five draft picks from his Oilers tenure that aren't named Connor McDavid.

5. Caleb Jones

Drafted: 4th round, 117 Overall, 2015

Career Stats: 217 GP, 14 G, 36 A, 50 PTS, 16:49 TOI

Caleb Jones was part of McDavid's draft class. McDavid went 1st overall and the next Oilers' pick wasn't until the fourth round. Jones has now been a part of two organizations, as he was part of the return for Duncan Keith two summers ago. He finished the 2022-23 season on the top pairing with his brother Seth Jones. He's a solid puck mover with good skating.

4. Ethan Bear

Drafted: 5th round, 124 Overall, 2015

Career Stats: 251 GP, 16 G, 47 A, 63 PTS, 18:51 TOI

The next pick in the 2015 draft for the Oilers was another former Oiler, Ethan Bear. Bear was incredibly effective in his first two years as an Oiler. Playing mostly with Darnell Nurse over his three year tenure, he was effective in those minutes. Great skater who kept his game simple. Even though he is onto his third organization in the league, there is a lot of upside with this player. 

3. John Marino

Drafted: 6th round, 154 Overall, 2015

Career Stats: 253 GP, 14 G, 68 A, 82 PTS, 20:41 TOI

The last former Oiler on the list is John Marino. Marino was a 6th round pick in the 2015 draft for the Oilers. He never played a game and was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins as a result. He's played two more games than Bear in his career, while collecting 19 more points and averaging almost 21 minutes a game. Like Bear he is a right handed defender and is very mobile with good puck skills.

2. Stuart Skinner

Drafted: 3rd round, 78 Overall, 2017

Career Stats: 64 GP, 36 W, 2 SO, 2.74 GAA, .913 SV%

The only goalie on the list is Stuart Skinner. Going from third round pick to Calder Memorial Trophy Finalist this year for top rookie in the NHL, Skinner has made a big impact on the Oilers. He spent four years climbing through the ranks of the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) and the American Hockey League (AHL). He's only 24 and has several years to go before hitting his prime. Chiarelli really knocked it out of the park with this pick.

1. Evan Bouchard

Drafted: 1st round, 10 Overall, 2018

Career Stats: 184 GP, 23 G, 66 A, 89 PTS, 18:34 TOI.

Evan Bouchard takes the top spot on my list for Chiarelli's best picks as Oilers GM (outside of McDavid, of course). From his rookie year you could tell that he had incredible poise with the puck because he never panics under pressure. He has great defensive tools and really stepped up his game in the playoffs, playing with an edge and a fire. He has the absolute best defense partner for him in Mattias Ekholm. Over the playoffs they were a 1B pairing, with Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci being a 1A pairing. Bouchard has incredible offensive potential, and will look to build on his back-to-back 40+ point seasons.

Chiarelli did well at the draft table for the Oilers. He drafted plenty of great prospects who have been used as trade chips or have become important pieces of the Oilers' future.