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Western Canadian NHL Teams Lead in Draft Success, New Study Finds

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Tom Banks | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 12:33 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers rebuilt their team between 2014 and 2020, and now a study from RG Media has revealed they were the best in the NHL in that time.

Between 2014 and 2020, the Edmonton Oilers picked up several key pieces of their organization, namely drafting Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, perhaps two of the five biggest stars in franchise history.

So when RG Media looked back on that time and decided to rank the success of teams drafting around the National Hockey League, it's no shock that the Oilers ranked very highly in their scores.

Oilers among the best in the NHL over the past decade

In fact, the Oilers came in second in the league behind the Toronto Maple Leafs in that time according to RG Media's custom scoring system for picks in that time, also landing the likes of Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway in that time.

Unsurprisingly, that's led to plenty of success for the team, as the trio of McDavid, Bouchard and Draisaitl are key in the back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances over the last two seasons.

The only team better than Edmonton was Toronto, and after landing William Nylander, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in that time, it's easy to see why they rate so highly on the list.

Following the Oilers out in Western Canada the Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames also all crack the top-10 in draft efficiency.

Ultimately, the success that Canadian teams have seen in recent years has a clear connection to their success on draft night, now these teams will look to catapult that success in the draft to a Stanley Cup in 2025-26.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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