Draft Do-Overs: Who the Oilers could have taken in each first round since 2016

That said, in a draft redo, the player they should have taken in hindsight wasn’t the ‘Bison King,’ but rather the one selected two spots later at sixth overall by the Calgary Flames — none other than Oilers nemesis Matthew Tkachuk.

Puljujarvi put up 112 points in 317 regular-season games with the Oilers and is now off to play in Switzerland, after playing last season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Meanwhile, Tkachuk has posted 636 points in 642 regular-season games, and if Edmonton had chosen him instead of Puljujarvi, the Oilers might’ve been the ones celebrating consecutive Cup victories instead of the Florida Panthers.

Oilers Drafted Kailer Yamamoto in 2017, They’d Likely Pick Jake Oettinger in a Draft Do-Over

The Oilers had the 22nd overall pick in 2017 and selected the 5-foot-9 Kailer Yamamoto, whose most notable run came during the 2019-20 season, recording 26 points in 27 games after being recalled midseason, and producing 118 points in 244 regular-season games overall. His biggest goal came in the first round of Game 6 of the 2023 playoffs , when his go-ahead tally made it 5-4 for the Oilers as they eliminated the Los Angeles Kings. However, he struggled with consistency and injuries, and as a result, the Oilers traded him to the Detroit Red Wings, along with Klim Kostin, on June 29, 2023, for future considerations.

That said, the best player taken after Yamamoto was netminder Jake Oettinger, selected five spots later at 26th overall by the Dallas Stars — a player the Oilers would gladly pick in a draft do-over. He has become a franchise goaltender for Dallas, despite the Oilers beating him and his team two years in a row in the playoffs, and has posted a 158-74-27 regular-season record.

Oilers Drafted Evan Bouchard in 2018 and the Pick Was Spot-On

The Oilers picked 10th overall at the 2018 draft, selecting Evan Bouchard, and they were spot on with their choice. The Oilers’ D-man is currently fifth in points (238) among players drafted that year, with no players taken after him surpassing him in points; however, some would argue that the New York Islanders’ D -man Noah Dobson may be a more complete blueliner than Bouchard.

Dobson, who has 230 regular-season points, was selected two spots after Bouchard. They’re both right-shot defenders, both 25 years old, and both signed big deals this offseason, with the Islanders’ D-man inking an eight-year contract worth $9.5 million annually, and Bouchard signing a four-year deal worth $10.5 million annually.

Dobson has a career points-per-game (PPG) of 0.59, while Bouchard, who plays alongside more star talent in McDavid and Draisaitl, has a 0.69 PPG. The Oilers’ D-man is also more proven in the playoffs, with 81 points in 75 games (1.08 PPG), and boasts several notable postseason achievements, including setting an NHL record for most assists by a blueliner in a single playoff run when he recorded his 26th assist during the 2024 postseason.

That said, if the Oilers had an opportunity to make their selection at pick number 10 in 2018 all over again, I’d wager they’d still select Bouchard.

Oilers Drafted Philip Broberg in 2019, They’d Likely Take Matt Boldy or Cole Caufield in a Draft Do-Over

The Oilers drafted Philip Broberg eighth overall at the 2019 draft, and he went on to play 81 regular-season games with the club before signing an offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues — one Edmonton chose not to match.

Nearly six years after being drafted, it seems Broberg has finally started to come into his potential, posting 29 points in 68 games with St. Louis last season. However, if the Oilers were given a chance to re-draft, they might opt for one of two forwards — the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Boldy , taken 12th overall, or Cole Caufield, selected 15th.

The 6-foot-2, 201-pound Boldy has the second-most points (244) from the 2019 draft, behind only Jack Hughes (351 points), and was recently ranked the 19th-best winger on NHL Network’s list of the top 20 and put up a career-high 73 points last season. Additionally, at 5-foot-8, Caufield may be undersized, but he’s a dynamic scoring winger with a quick release, and his 118 goals are the second-most from the 2019 draft class.

Oilers Drafted Dylan Holloway in 2020, They’d Likely Pick Brock Faber in a Draft Do-Over

Edmonton selected Dylan Holloway with the 14th pick in 2020, and after a solid performance in the 2024 playoffs with the club, he signed an offer sheet last summer with St. Louis, which was also not matched. Like Broberg, he really came into his own last season with the Blues, registering a 63-point campaign.

There are several players selected after Holloway in the 2020 draft who have more career points than Holloway’s 81, but it’s still early. Some notable names include Dawson Mercer, selected 18th (167 career points), John Peterka, selected 34th (150 career points), and Jake Neighbours, picked 26th (96 career points). However, given the way Holloway broke out last season, I’d still choose him moving forward over those players.

Still, if the Oilers had a redo of their selection, they’d likely choose D-man Brock Faber, who was taken 45th overall by the Wild.

Faber posted 47 points in his rookie campaign and then signed an eight-year, $8.5 million contract extension last offseason. While his points dipped to 29 last season, his ice time increased to just under 25 minutes — the sixth-highest in the league — and his trajectory has him well on his way t o becoming a top-pairing blueliner for many seasons in the NHL.

Oilers Drafted Xavier Bourgault in 2021, They’d Likely Pick Wyatt Johnston in a Draft Do-Over

This one is easy. The Oilers selected Xavier Bourgault 22nd overall in 2021, and he didn’t suit up in a regular-season game for the club before he and Jake Chiasson were traded to the Ottawa Senators last offseason for Roby Jarventie and a fourth-round draft pick, playing last season in the AHL with the Belleville Senators.

In a draft re-do at the #22 selection, the Oilers would — no ifs, ands, or buts — take Wyatt Johnston, who was selected one spot behind Bourgault by Dallas at #23. Johnston has become a versatile winger for the Stars, trusted on both the power play and penalty kill, and leads all players from the 2021 draft class with 177 career points.

Oilers Drafted Reid Schaefer in 2022, They’d Likely Pick Lane Hutson in a Draft Do-Over

The Oilers selected Reid Schaefer with the last pick of the first round, 32nd overall, at the 2022 draft. Before playing a game with Edmonton, in February 2023, they traded him along with a first-round pick, a fourth-rounder, and Tyson Barrie to acquire Mattias Ekholm, who has been a solid addition to Edmonton’s blue line.

But for the sake of this piece, if the club did a draft redo and picked again, the best player taken after Schaefer so far would be Montreal Canadiens D-man Lane Hutson, who was selected in the second round at 62nd overall. The 5-foot-9 dynamic blueliner had an impressive rookie campaign, tallying 66 points, making the All-Rookie Team, and winning the Calder Trophy.

Oilers Traded Their Last Three First-Round Picks

The Oilers’ 2023 first-round pick was dealt to the Predators as part of the Ekholm trade, and Nashville used it to select Tanner Molendyk. Additionally, Edmonton traded its 2024 first-round pick in the deal to acquire Adam Henrique as the main piece coming back in March 2024. Furthermore, Edmonton also traded its 2025 first-round pick at the 2024 NHL Draft to the Philadelphia Flyers to acquire the 32nd overall pick, which they used to select Sam O’Reilly, who was recently traded for Isaac Howard, the 31st overall pick in 2022.

Yet, as you can see, since 2016, the Oilers have had their share of swings, misses, some hits, and missteps, with only one first-round pick from that period, Bouchard, still with the team. With Savoie and Howard, even though they weren’t the Oilers’ own first-round picks, the hope is that the team has added recent first-round-caliber talent who could make an impact as early as next season and hopefully help the team for years to come.