2013 Draft: An Oilers Organizational Bias

The NHL draft rankings I put out each year are made to reflect my opinion of the overall "best player available" listed without organizational bias.  The list below is not that list (although for handy comparison purposes, I do show my BPA rankings beside each player).

Basically, on the list below, I rank the prospects in the order of preference I have towards the Oilers selecting them in the draft. It's based upon how I feel each player would potentially help the Oilers organization, and likely give them the most overall value.

2013 NHL Draft Rankings

First, I always like to note what this is, and what it is not. This is a ranked evaluation/projection of how much I feel each prospect could come to impact winning at the NHL level, without organizational bias. This is not a mock draft, although I may choose to post one at a later date.

Some things to note: I have very few (if any) viewings on most of these players. I read about prospects in magazines, read about them on line, watch some highlights of some of the players, and listen to what many of the sports television or radio programs have to say about them. I do watch some WJC games, some games from other Jr. international tournaments, as well as some Memorial Cup and other CHL games. This very much from afar.

I would also like to note that I made markedly less time to work on the rankings this year, due to how late the playoffs are going and a change in the date of my vacation time, for family reasons. I have, however, put together a decently deep list, with many names listed late that I feel have the potential to be quality players given some good developmental breaks.

I've ranked 108 players. Why 108? They all came up on my radar and interested me.

I may post an updated, final rankings with some minor adjustments in the days before the draft, but with all that in mind, here are my current rankings, less than three weeks from draft day:

2013 Oilers Gangsta Rap

Good to get this season started.  I'm Excited. It might show a bit...

From an Oiler Perspective

I want to preface this by saying I would support the selection of any of the top 5 players on this list with a first over-all selection.  I do, however, have preferences. Here is the list of players, in order of my preference, that I think would help our existing organization the most:

2012 NHL Draft Final Prospect Rankings:

Since I began personally attempting to evaluate and rank the players in the draft in 2007, this year's draft I have found to be the most difficult. Added to this was my ambition to extend my draft rankings further than I have ever attempted before. The result is a list that I'm less certain of, but more proud of for completing. I am not a scout, just a dedicated draft observer. I look forward to seeing most, if not all, of my ranked players being drafted, and watching them progress in their careers over the next several years

 This is not a mock draft. This is my evaluation of the prospects' potential overall impact on the game (in their prime) based on available information.

Here are my Top 90 Ranked 2012 NHL Draft Prospects:

The Pardubice Prince Signs!

I'm quite glad things worked out.

Hemsky started finding some chemistry and consistency here recently and I think this ultimately allowed for this deal to happen.  

Ales, keep up the dipsey-doodle at speed and smooth puck movement and this will be a beauty few years.

Stu's Job

If I had to do The Magnificent Bastard's job, I might fare ok in the first round.  For the last few years, I think it's safe to say many people would have fared well, being as we were picking first overall.

The worst feeling...

Do you know that feeling you get when you know someone you care about is moving away?

October's Oiler Notes

The Oilers have played October's games and I thought I'd share at least one line on each player:

Tom Gilbert has been exceptional to start this campaign.  I've seen 2 or 3 games in which I would describe him as a solid 2nd pairing player who was getting some good bounces, and the rest of the games where he flat out looked like a first pairing guy.  His fumbles behind his own blue line, particularly when being fore-checked from the other team (under pressure) have almost dried up.  I'm on board with this Tom Gilbert.

Nikolai Khabibulin is playing like Dwayne Roloson circa the '06 run right now.  Out of his skull good.  Looks like he's getting a better result than he honestly deserves on technical merit, but his effort, concentration and feel for the puck right now are incredible.  This is the goalie I hoped we were getting a few years back.  I think Khabibulin feels confidence in his conditioning, ability and experience right now and is using the challenge being put forth by Dubynk and the energy of a young and exciting team in front of him to bring the best out of a quality veteran who had a lot to prove coming into the season.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins kept the Pen

That's the Nuge by thumb in the top corner of the top pic.  The hardest one to read is the Eberle autograph on the Oilers logo on the top of the brim, the only one signed with a black sharpie (it was already in his hand).

I was the first person RNH (and many of the Oilers) signed for but when Hoppy came by ( last Oiler to leave ) I told him he could keep the silver sharpie and that he was probably in more need of it now than I was.  I also told him he was the easiest pick in my multi-contest winning mock-draft.  On pace for 82 this year, eh Ryan?

Thanks to all the boys who so graciously signed my ballin' hat.