Edmonton Oilers 2015 Draft Recap
Edmonton Oilers - 1st Round (1st Overall): C Connor McDavid (Erie, OHL)
Name: 
Connor McDavid
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’1, 195 lbs
Born: January 13, 1997, Richmond Hill, ON
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): “A”/ 1st NA/ 1st NA
Summary: Brilliant, graceful and imaginative offensive machine who produced one of the finest amateur resumes in recent memory. Hard to convey his dominance in words; you just have to watch him play one shift and it will encompass all the reasons why he’s a special talent. McDavid is an explosive skater with breakaway speed, but his balance and ability to control the puck at the highest of speeds is unmatched in this draft. He is also extremely shifty and can change gears effortlessly, especially to the outside. One of the best players in the world at any level at chipping and retrieving the puck to an open area, then turning it into a high-quality scoring chance. He is an elite playmaker who makes hard, crisp passes on both forehand and backhand. Extremely difficult to contain and seal off, McDavid is a highly-intelligent player who can outwork and outmaneuver any opposing shadow or checking assignment. His play without the puck is excellent; the puck doesn’t just seem to find him. It happens because his superior vision and keen understanding places him where the puck can only go. Has lightning-quick hands around the net and can elevate the puck with ease, even when outstretched. Combines Sergei Fedorov’s size and smarts with Pavel Bure’s speed and shot, but with an insatiable thirst for competition and success.
Edmonton Oilers - 4th Round (117th Overall): LHD Caleb Jones (US U18, NTDP)
Name: Caleb Jones
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’0, 194 lbs
Born: June 6, 1997, Arlington, TX
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): “C”/ 77th NA/ 115th NA
Summary: Very steady for Team USA who did an excellent job limiting the high power forwards he was matched up against at the U18’s. Will play for the Portland Winterhawks next season. Jones was overlooked like the rest of the U.S. U18 defense corps because the dynamic forwards they supported tended to get all the attention. But he is far from just an enabler, as he is a quick decision maker and can jump into the play to provide offense when called upon. Caleb is strong on his skates and will deliver a hard hit without endangering his team’s situation on the ice.
Edmonton Oilers - 5th Round (124th Overall): RHD Ethan Bear (Seattle, WHL)
Name: Ethan Bear
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 5’11, 211 lbs
Born: June 26, 1997, Regina, SK
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): “B”/ 133rd NA/ 97th NA
Summary: Sturdy offensive defensemen with a cannon of a shot who is still learning the more important side of his position. At this point he projecting to be a power-play specialist but the Oilers can afford to be patient with him. You’d think with a name like “Ethan Bear”, he’d be some menacing sledgehammer on skates with a blood-stained Slayer tee shirt under his jersey. While the latter is a possibility, the former is not necessarily an accurate moniker for the style he plays. Whiule he can be (and has been ) physical, the best way to describe him is as a two-way defenseman with a howitzer of a shot who is still learning the nuances of when and when not to gamble. His first-step quickness and ability to read plays while defending are both developmental areas he must improve, specifically when the puck is headed his way. Bear is an excellent power play option and projects as a bottom-pairing situational blueliner.
Edmonton Oilers - 6th Round (154th Overall): RHD John Marino (South Shore, USPHL)
Name: John Marino
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Right
Height/Weight: 6’0, 171 lbs
Born: May 21, 1997, Brockton, MA
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): “B” / 64th NA / 63rd NA
Summary: We considered Marino to be the second-best Massachusetts-trained defenseman available in the 2015 draft after Noah Hanifin, so seeing him fall to the sixth round was a bit of a surprise. He’s not physically imposing or has an NHL-ready build, but Marino is a highly-cerebral puck-rushing rearguard who didn’t garner much fanfare playing in the USPHL. Marino de-comitted from Yale to play for former Boston Bruin Ted Donato at Harvard, which is anticipating a 2016-17 arrival. From a skill standpoint, he is an effortless skater who can carry the puck in and around traffic, and he makes smart plays when attackers close on him. Marino is still underdeveloped in terms of his play in his own end, which his offensive instincts can turn into an adventure without proper on-ice communication. Keep an eye on him. We think he’s a steal this late.
Edmonton Oilers - 7th Round (208th Overall): G Miroslav Svoboda (Trinec Jrs., Czech Rep.)
Name: Miroslav Svoboda
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left
Height/Weight: 6’3, 176 lbs
Born: March 7, 1995, Vsetín, Czech Republic
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): NR/ NR/ NR
Summary: An overage backup on the Czech junior national team, Svoboda seems to be the kind of goaltender who hasn’t made the most of his few opportunities to exceed expectations. Six seasons as a Czech junior, and Svoboda only has one Extraliga appearance under his belt and was a backup at both the U18’s and the U20 WJC. He may have the size, but that’s all we can determine as a reason why he was selected over more technically advanced draft eligibles like Kelowna’s Jake Morrissey and Finland’s Veini Vehviläinen. Svoboda is very fidgety in net and does not challenge shooters. Had he possessed a quick enough glove hand and was quicker and more decisive with his reads, then his size would make him an elite prospect. For now, he’s basically a shot-in-the-dark seventh rounder whose is still on the lower rungs of his development ladder, which says a lot considering he’s almost 21. But he has size, which some (not us) will tell you it’s worth a shot.
Edmonton Oilers - 7th Round (208th Overall): LHD Ziyat Paigin (Kazan, KHL)
Name: Ziyat Paigin
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Height/Weight: 6’6, 209 lbs
Born: February 8, 1995, Penza, Russia
Central Scouting Rankings (Prelim/Mid/Final): NR/ 42nd Eur/ 49th Eur
Summary: Towering overage 6’6 defender who had a solid rookie season in the KHL and an even more impressive showing at the 2015 WJC, where he showcased his booming shot and punishing play along the wall. Likely sticking around the KHL for a few more seasons, Paigin has all the tools to be a top defender in any league. You just have to stomach the brutal turnovers.