NHL 'Prospects in review 2012'

With the 2012 NHL Entry Draft now behind us, I thought it was time to do some reflection. In early October 2011 I put up my own 'Top 15 prospects list' for this 2012 Draft. I listed in ranking accordingly back in October. It was slightly changed throughout the year as players would rise and fall. Lots of injuries this past season made things difficult to predict. So listed below is my prediction at the beginning of the season.

REVS 2012 TOP 15 NHL PROSPECTS LIST:(October 3/2011)

1.Nail Yakupov

2.Mikhail Grigorenko

3.Ryan Murray

4.Alex Galchenyuk

5.Morgan Rielly

6.Mathew Dumba

7.Nick Ebert

8.Filip Forsberg

9.Griffin Reinhart

10.Martin Frk

11.Derrick Pouliot

12.Cody Ceci

13.Olli Maatta

14.Zemgus Girgensons

15.Jacob Trouba

REVS 2012 TOP 15 NHL PROSPECTS LIST:(May 12/2012)

1.Nail Yakupov

2.Mikhail Grigorenko

3.Alex Galchenyuk

4.Ryan Murray

5.Morgan Rielly

6.Griffin Reinhart

7.Matt Dumba

8.Filip Forsberg

9.Olli Mattaa

10.Radek Faksa

11.Jacob Trouba

12.Cody Ceci

13.Derrick Pouliot

14.Zemgus Girgensons

15.Brandon Gaunce

OFFICIAL 2012 NHL Entry Draft June22-23rd/2012

1.Nail Yakupov

2.Ryan Murray

3.Alex Galchenyuk

4.Griffin Reinhart

5.Morgan Rielly

6. Hampus Lindholm

7.Matt Dumba

 8.Derrick Pouliot

9.Jacob Trouba

10.Slater Koekkoek

11.Filip Forsberg

12.Mikhail Grigorenko

13.Radek Faksa

14.Zemgus Girgensons

15.Cody Ceci

After looking back on my early rankings starting October 3/2011, I had 3 out of 15 100% accurate in their final ranking and selection. 12 of my original Top 15 ranked players were also taken in the draft.

According to my May 12th final rankings , I had 4 out of 15 100% accurate in their final ranking and selection. 13 of my original Top 15 ranked players were also taken in the draft. I think in the end, I might have surprised even myself...lol

Predicting prospects is a difficulty at the best of times but with today's insights and so many scouts and organizations and media streams, it has become a much easier job. I have found in my experience, not to over analyze. It's quite easy to second guess some early season picks but unless they have really gone off the deep end (ie: Nick Ebert) in their development you should be at least 50-60% accurate if you just stay with your original decision. Much like when taking a test, I am told not to second guess my original answer.

With this years draft now behind us, it becomes one of the busiest times of the year for myself. I will be compiling my "REVS TOP 15 2013 NHL PROSPECTS LIST" over the next few months and be releasing it here at 'Oilers Jambalya' early October once again. 

Also with the Oilers Development Camp just about ready to begin, I will be following our current prospects in the system who will be attending as well as our recent draft selections who will be attending from this weekends 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Last year, I wrote a write up on several of the prospects and will share the results from last year.  I was not writing here at Oilers Jambalya and many of you did not read my thoughts on those players, so will be re-releasing those this week.

During the development camp, (which I will be in full attendance at) I will try to keep the faithful here at our site, updated regularly. Any specific player you want some updates on during camp or questions on their development in particular, feel free to let me know under the comments section and I will do my best to give you what I can.

For Oiler prospect news and the 2013 or 2014 NHL draft watch, go to

 www.twitter.com/revingev

"NAILING it on Draft Day"

For the 3rd year running, the Edmonton Oilers are PROUD to select #1 overall ...

"FILL IN THE BLANK"

Yes it has been proud moments the last 2 years, but hopefully that does not change come today, at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Anything short of the Oilers selecting Nail Yakupov #1 is a major mistake IMO. It's incredible the support this city has for Yakupov and it grows stronger by the day. I would guess we are at 90% of the people who care who the Oilers select #1 overall.

I am not getting into all the reasons why he should be selected first, you have heard them all. The recent chatter and concerns? Especially today amongst all the media etc..? It's all about ratings. It makes things more suspenseful and that is exactly what the Oilers are doing. They want to have some suspense, and they have done a good job with it.

A friend of mine (lets call him 'Easy J') and myself the last 2 years have gone draft crazy. We decided the year we got to draft #1 overall in 2010, we would go out and select a T-Shirt to buy, put a photos Shoped picture on the front of the player we believed would be selected by the Edmonton Oilers. We would pick the Name, photoshop a picture on the front, put the name on the back like a jersey and also the number we believed they would wear the next year for the Oilers. Now obviously I can not prove this following picture was done pre-draft, but trust me it was. We wore these T-Shirts proudly to Rexall Place and enjoyed the Draft Party.

Come Draft Day, not only did we select who we believed was the player, who the Edmonton Oilers were going to select (maybe people still thought Seguin was the man , even some MSM) but we also picked Lowe's old number in advance and didn't know for a few months until it happened. That player was........

Taylor Hall #4

ENTER, 2011. The 2nd straight #1 overall pick once again belonged to the Edmonton Oilers. Following prospects, years in advance also helps identify these players better. Also following the progress and maturity and passion for the game is quite beneficial. To be even more honest, following the consenus of the majority of scouts makes a difference as well. And the scouts who have a proven track record are even better. Getting to know more scouts in the know does make a big difference. With the access now that can be found through media, youtube (always careful with just the good highlights however) , streaming video and some awesome networks across continents (mostly North America) truly helps as well.

By December 1st/2010  we were pretty confident of who that selection would be. Bob Stauffer was a big booster as well. The rest of the year was just sitting back and waiting. It was a LONG wait. Finally the 2011 Draft was quickly coming and once again, 'Easy J' and I headed out to make what had become our annual #1 OV T-Shirt. We made our T-Shirts but this time had our own little Draft Party at home and wore our shirts proudly in advance, 'hoping and praying' we were right again. Once again we hit the jackpot!

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS #93

With now 2 straight years of picking 1st overall, no way did we ever dream we could finish low enough to win the lottery. Well, it did happen and long and behold, we are sitting here thinking, are we the proud 'Poppa' of another potential superstar player? This must be too good to be true. Who do we select? If you followed my 'REVS 2012 Top 15 NHL Draft Rankings' all year, you knew I had Nail Yakupov head and shoulders over everyone. Did I mention him much here at Oilers Jambalaya early? Nope, cause I didn't believe the Oilers had a shot at him at all. Grigorenko was my early favourite, then as the Oilers started to fade, I saw Murray as the possible selection #2. Once again this year, I was fortunate to connect with several more scouts both local but also now in Ontario, who had several showings of the man known as NAIL

I know there is controversy about other reasons not to select Yakupov 1st overall but in all truthfulness, none have any real legitimacy to them. Nail Yakupov is the man! So having now gone out and made our T-Shirts of the #1 overall pick, we only had one question left. What number will he wear in 'Nail Country', err, I mean 'Oil Country'?

So we spent the extra (prices have gone up) and made our T-Shirts with Name, Photo and Number in advance once again. I am displaying it here at Oilers Jambalaya today, hours before the draft to prove I put my money where my mouth is and make that selection one LAST time (we can only hope and pray). 

Let it be known, that the only known blogger in the Oilogosphere to put his reputation on the line with his prediction is old 'revingev' at Oilers Jambalaya.

 So without further boring you....."The Edmonton Oilers, Select with the historic 1st overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft....from the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, NAIL YAKUPOV"

NAIL YAKUPOV #96

Now should, the Oilers trade this pick, I am going to look real bad. I am so confident my pick and selection is accurate that if the Oilers do not select Yakupov, I will personally video tape myself cutting this Pre-Draft Yakupov T-Shirt into shreds and post it here at Oilers Jambalaya.

Here is hoping that I am right and we welcome another potential star in the making to

"Oil Country".

 Here is hoping we NAILED IT!

Last night before grabing some shut eye before the big Draft day, I leaked the pre-draft pic out for my twitter followers. I also decided to send off a quick tweet to the 'Mighty Nail' with this above picture. A real classy guy who could bring alot more to this team then just another player who is good.

For Oiler ,Baron and Thunder news and the 2012 or 2013 NHL draft watch, go to www.twitter.com/revingev

OILERS DraftCenter (Article 4)

Only a day away from the opening of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and still there are lots of questions out there as to what the top 10 will look like. On the other hand, hundreds of other players seldom get much limelight other then the odd rankings from the top Scouting agencies out there. Hopefully these 4 articles I have written gives us Oiler fans a little bit more of a idea of the lesser known players who could possibly be selected. On with the final list of potential players the Oilers could look at in the 3rd and 4th rounds.

DAMON SEVERSON

D , 6'2 , 200 lbs

Has a great hockey frame, incredible mobility and tough attitude out there on the ice. Thought to be a late second round pick or a early third round, Damon has scouts really questioning his consistency mostly. Some nights he has looked like a top 30 player and other nights he is all over the ice. Scouts know, he has the potential, but can he pull it all together as he moves to pro one day? Needs to also work on building up his muscular frame somewhat still to play his game at the next level.

DEVIN SHORE

C , 6'0 , 187

Is a highly effective player. Scouts see him as a top 9 forward most likely on the wing in his future should he one day make it pro. Assertive on the ice, he plays a hard, fast paced game. No one can question his work ethic but will go for the gamble should he believe he has a chance to score. Possibly a late 2nd rounder as well.

CODY CORBETT

D , 6'0 , 210 lbs

Plays tough out there on the ice and has a really good first pass out of the zone. With his size and solid frame, Cody is willing to play rough to succeed.While he does have the ability to carry the puck he is more of a first crisp pass out of the zone kind of player. Loves shooting the puck but usually a wrister. Has no hesitation to shoot on net every time which will bode well for him down the road. (Far to few players actually shoot at the pro level). He plays with high confidence but sometimes that does not turn out so well for him as it opens up the possibility for mistakes at vital times . (Memorial Cup was one small sample)

DILLON FOURNIER

D , 6'2 , 180 lbs

Was a 1st selection in the QMJHL draft, good skater but does lean more to defensive awareness on ice. Not unlike Paajarvi. Performed well in the prospects game. Could easily go in the second round and if not will be picked up early in the third round of the draft. Is very strong on the puck and good at puck retrieval in the corners. Very seldom gets caught out of position. A very good 2-way Center.

NICK WALTERS

D , 6'2 , 187 lbs

A very mobile defensemen who doesn't mind scrapping once in awhile. Is considered by most scouts as a hard nosed player who will do what it takes to get the job done. Plays positionally well and learnt lots from playing with Ryan Murray but will be under heavy scrutiny come next year. Is kind of on that edge of a player that could be the risk/gamble factor. Probably goes mid 3rd round.

TYREL SEAMAN

C , 6'2 , 196 lbs

 A big center who doesn't mind going to the rough and tough spots.  and skates extremely well. A injury this past season slowed down his growth as a player but he worked hard to get back and it showed. Says 'He will be fishing on the day of the draft' cause you don't want to get to excited and maybe not get picked. Was ranked 17th best player in the WHL. Late 2nd rounder to me.

BEN JOHNSON

C , 6'0 , 186 lbs

Speed to burn, Ben holds true to his name but rather then in a oval racing track, on the ice he rips it up. Considered by scouts and friends and team to have incredibly good character. Once thought to become a elite scorer, it never panned out. Will need to work lots on his core strength and does not have that high end hockey sense that is so often spoke of.  Can be found out of position sometimes at costly times. Lots of potential for offensive production.

JAMES MELINDY

D , 6'3 , 191 lbs

A offensive defensemen who knows how to use his size effectively. Not to many D-Men takes as many shootouts as James, and he IS GOOD at shootouts. Loves to jump up on the rush and plays well until his workload becomes too much. Will need to strengthen his overall fitness level to make it to the pros, but a good player nonetheless with some decent potential. Possibly picked early 3rd round, late 2nd.

For Oiler ,Baron and Thunder news and the 2012 or 2013 NHL draft watch, go to www.twitter.com/revingev

The New Edmonton Oilers App!

Yesterday the Oilers finally released their apps for cell phones and tablets. The iPhone app took longer to get out to the public because apple likes to slow the process down. But, nonetheless the app has arrived.

If you haven't downloaded it yet, you should. Tons of features and it truly is one of the best apps I have ever used. It has everything including a map of Rexall. There is even a radio link that auto turns on 630 CHED easily so you can listen to the game.

I highly recommend this app. Quick! Go get it!!!

UPDATE: The Oilers app after less than one day is ranked #8 in the App Store in Canada and #1 in the sports category!

-WRITTEN BY SMOKIN' RAY-

OILERS DraftCenter (Article 3)

Today we continue looking further into possible draft picks that could be considered for the Oilers in later rounds. The ones I want to look at today , will more then likely be 3rd or 4th round possibilities. As well, these perspective players are more of a higher risk/reward then others I will mention in my OILERS DraftCenter Article 4 which will be posted on Thursday morning, a day before the draft. 

On Friday AM I will be posting a final Draft day blog in anticipation of what is going to happen with our 1st overall selection. For those of you who have followed me all year, you will notice I am opinionated, but also fairly astute in those opinions. More often then not, I have tended to be more accurate then wrong. (I know , quit blowing your own horn). I will be posting some proof of the last 2,  #1 Overall  selections I predicted and then be releasing my final prediction of the 2012 1st Overall pick. I  am also going on a limb in this prediction , as it will end up costing me some dollars if I am wrong. Oh, let the fun begin!

On with some potential 3rd and 4th round picks in this years NHL Entry Draft....

NIKITA GUSEV

LW , 5'9 , 163 lbs

Nikita can be a very dynamic player as was seen at the world Juniors. He was pretty broken up about losing to Sweden in OT for the Gold medal. Even as far as to not even put his medal out for others to see. Nail in a interview claims Nikita still had his silver medal in his hockey equipment bag month later. As is the normal in the NHL, their is concerns about his size. Gusev has average speed and is a riverboat gambler. With 30 Goals and 76 points in only 34 games in his last year in the MHL. He has lots of offensive potential. The only question that remains is, will he be able to perform offensively like that against men.


Having been passed over twice already at the NHL draft , there is no doubt someone will pick him up once the 3rd round comes around. If he lasts til the 4th, it will be a steal of a pickup. Nikita is considered a artist with the puck and makes others around him even better. (A much better player then a Schremp or Omark). A crafty and savvy forward, Gusev is adept at playmaking or scoring. There is no doubt, he has elite vision on the ice but the Russian factor will be a issue amongst teams in the NHL. While listed at 5'9 those closer to him are saying he is now closer to 5'11. (no proof can be found on that in my search) He averaged 2.36 ppg in the Russian Jr league and the next closest player averaged 1.52 ppg. 

LUDVIG NILSSON

C 6'1 , 173 lbs

Ludvig is a offensively impressive big player. (although not that heavy his size is more like RNH) The concern about Ludvig is not his offense but his ability to play through a big and tough defence. Not lots of information to find on Ludvig other then viewings in international competition with team sweden. Plays a pretty straight , North/South game of hockey.

MATIA MARCANTUONI

C , 6'0 , 194 lbs

One of Matia's strengths had been known is his balance and power which he has been known to use well. At last year's Research and development camp, there were high hopes of a 1st round player. He is known to go into corners against bigger players and come out with the puck. His game is all about speed though. His big move is rushing hard down the right side and suddenly cuts for the net with no fear of crashing into the goalie.


One of Matia's weaknesses is his health. He will have to adapt his play on the ice to have any possibility of a long career in hockey especially to play in the NHL. His anticipation skills are not as fine tuned as some scouts would like, which makes sense why his ranking dropped so much this year. Could be another Angelo Esposito, or maybe a late bloomer? Might be a risk worth taking come the 3rd round if available?

STEVEN HODGES

C , 5'11 , 178 lbs

A good skater who can hit top end speed in only a few strides. A player who you can't help but notice on the ice. Hodges is considered more of a playmaker then a scorer. Should he get enough time and space he is sure to find that streaking teammate coming in on the goalie. He has great hockey sense and is good at getting himself and or others open.


The only true weakness found in his game by scouts is he has not yet posted top end point production for the talent and skill level he displays on the ice. Also he does get pushed around on the ice quite often and sometimes is told he doesn't always show up physically.

CHARLES HUDON

LW , 5'10 , 170 lbs

One thing scouts all agree on, is he has top 6 potential in the NHL should he ever make it. The other thing they all agree on is, his size will be a big barrier to overcome to play top 6 in the NHL. His foot speed has been questioned by some scouts while others say it is workable to get to another level. he does however have quick hands and a well developed 'hockey sense'. He also has been known by scouts to have a strong work ethic and consistently has produced throughout his career to date.

RAPHAEL BUSSIERES

LW , 6'1 , 195 lbs

A extremely gritty winger who sometimes plays on the edge, but that edge has also ended up in suspensions. Should probably be producing more offense at this stage due to size but could possibly be carving out a career as a 3rd line banger or 4th line skilled fighter? 


Average skating, ok puck handling skills but because this player can lose control and take bad penalties he will be in tough against stiff competition in the first 3 rounds at the NHL Entry Draft in June.

CODA GORDON

LW , 6'1 , 182 lbs

Coda is the type of player who likes to get those dirty goals. You won't find many of his goals on the highlight of the night. Maybe off a skate, off the head or even his backside, it just goes in because of how hard he works around the net. Not considered a strong skater , this past season he did work on it and it showed dividends by season's end. Coda will need to become a more aggressive and physical player if he wants to advance to the pro level, but if he keeps his commitment level high to improving, he should be fine as a 4th round pick for sure.

FRANKIE VATRANO

LW , 5'10 , 221 lbs


A solid physical player who may not be tall but definitely is well built and a solid player with a strong core. Doesn't play a lot of minutes but could be the kind of player in the Davante Smith-Pelly mold. He is and energetic and intense player who finishes his checks and plays hard each shift. He has great skating acceleration and wins most races to the puck scouts are saying.


His natural shooting instincts make his a very accurate shooter who places the puck on target more often then not. Has the ability to be a gritty role player with some offensive abilities. 

For Oiler ,Baron and Thunder news and the 2012 or 2013 NHL draft watch, go to www.twitter.com/revingev