Oilers Prospect Update: Strong weekend in NCAA for Fischer, WHLers Lafrenière and Lewandowski square off

I didn’t ever see this in Fischer’s game last year. The confidence and skill with the puck he possesses now has me very intrigued about his future as a prospect. The confidence also translated over to his ability to start, join, and lead transitions. Notre Dame looked disconnected offensively in both games, and Fischer was taking every opportunity possible to get involved offensively to help out the struggling Fighting Irish offence. Below is a clip of the six-foot-one defender starting the rush with a breakout pass, filling the centre lane, and being first on the forecheck.

It doesn’t matter who you are now in the NHL. Every player has to be able to pass the puck and provide some sort of help offensively. Whether it is by having a great first pass, having the ability to beat forecheckers with your feet, or constantly being active in the offensive zone, you have to help with the offence in some way. Below is a clip that shows a great example of helping create offence in a simple way, as Fischer makes a great breakout pass and follows it up, eventually becoming an option for his teammate. It leads to a chance on net by the former Blues selection.

Now that’s an example of a simple way to help out the offence. In the next and final clip, Paul Fischer shows that he can make plays under pressure, but what impressed me the most is how proactive he is. Every move seems to be calculated when he has the puck.

Although Notre Dame lost both games this weekend, it wasn’t because of the play of Paul Fischer. The 2023 fifth-rounder was a bright spot this weekend and has shown a steady progression from last year. Keep an eye on Fischer this year; he has a very intriguing two-way package to work with.

The Michigan Wolverines

Aidan Park and Asher Barnett are still playing in bottom-of-the-lineup roles, but that is not due to their skill set. Michigan is a deep roster, and they showed it this weekend as they beat seventh-ranked Providence by a score of 5-1 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday. Asher Barnett is a stalwart on the first penalty-killing unit that has only allowed one power-play goal in twelve tries to start the year. Aidan Park also has his special-teams role, as he is on the second power-play unit for the Wolverines. Park managed to get an assist in the first game against Providence; it’s not a pretty one, but good things happen when you take the puck to the middle of the ice.

The two Michigan men have settled in nicely to their new college roles, as both players are used to being top-of-the-lineup guys. Michigan has been good at spreading the time out for players; Barnett is slotted in on the third pair, but the fifth-rounder consistently plays 17:00 minutes a night. The same goes for Park, as he is pencilled in on the fourth line but plays about 15:00 minutes a night at the moment. Great start for the Wolverines, as they are riding a four-game winning streak and everything is clicking at the moment.

The WHLers

Would you look at that: David Lewandowski and Tommy Lafrenière faced off against each other on October 11, with Lewandowski getting the better of the Blazers as he scored a goal off a beautiful deflection shown below.

Lewandowski is now tied for seventh in the WHL with 12 points in seven games. The German’s dual offensive ability continues to shine with his knack for making complicated passes, but he’s also been showing off his shooting ability more, too. Below is my favourite clip of Lewandowski’s from the weekend, because he makes the pass look so simple under pressure.

A beautiful pass under the stick of the Blazers player turning around. Now, even though Tommy Lafrenière didn’t get on the board in Saskatoon, the third-rounder still showed well. Lafrenière is playing in every situation, and the minutes match that; not only are his minutes up, but his shot totals are as well. The Blazers centre is averaging an outstanding 4.6 shots per game; the chances are coming, and they are starting to fall, as Lafrenière scored two goals today (Oct. 13), including the overtime winner to beat the Regina Pats.

Now at four goals and five points, Lafrenière should start to see the puck go in more for him as he continues to create chances like these. The 2025 draft pick has also shown an excellent attention to detail in the defensive zone, and his low looping routes to support his teammates have resulted in many end-to-end style rushes. Lafrenière is able to take these low, swooping routes due to his speed and ability to play under his wingers.

Overall, it was a good weekend for the Oilers’ prospects, but the shining light was on Paul Fischer and the real, translatable offence he brings to the game now. I will be keeping a close eye on the Notre Dame defenceman, as he seems to be relied on in every role, and the offence only seems to get going when he is on the ice. That’s all for now, and we will be back next week with another CHL/NCAA update.