NHL and Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky is not happy with the team's draft decision they made in 2021, and he openly ripped apart his brother for a crucial mistake.
Wayne Gretzky recently stopped by the Dallas Stars locker room to congratulate the team on their playoff series, while rooting on the Edmonton Oilers to bring home the Stanley Cup.
In a video shared online, Gretzky stands and converses with 22-year-old Stars winger Wyatt Johnston.
During their conversation, Gretzky joked about having teased his brother Keith, who serves as the assistant general manager for the Oilers, over not drafting Johnston in the 2021 NHL Draft.
'You're such a good player! I always tell my brother - he didn't draft you, they picked another guy before you - I always give him s**t!'- Wayne Gretzky
The Oilers drafted centerman Xavier Bourgault, who has yet to break into the NHL, with the 22nd overall selection in that year.
The Oilers traded Bourgault, adding more salt to the draft wound
Bourgault could not break through in the AHL and was dealt to the Ottawa Senators, where he is still in the minor league system.Dallas drafted Johnston with the next pick at No. 23.
Johnston has appeared in 246 games in the NHL, has 33 goals this year, and has contributed eight points in 13 playoff games, a clear difference-maker.
Although draft misses do happen, Gretzky's tongue-in-cheek gripe does hold some merit, especially to the fans. Given Keith Gretzky's experience in amateur scouting, there is a good chance that he was involved in that selection.
That Wayne is making himself visible publicly only adds to Edmonton's frustration. It's not hard to envision how much Johnston might be contributing to the Oilers today, maybe in a top-six spot and depth scoring.
Pandemic drafting imposed special challenges, but the Oilers are going to have to return to their system and give it a hard look, particularly when the results are so evident.
More must-reads: