Oilers 2026 Prospect Countdown No. 5: Tommy Lafreniere

As I said in prior posts, the eighth spot to the fifth spot is extremely close for me, but the former Kamloops Blazer is the youngest of the bunch and plays a style that looks projectable to me. Lafreniere isn’t our youngest player in the top five, but he was only drafted in 2025 when the Edmonton Oilers took him in the third round. The right-shot forward played in 68 games during his draft year, scoring 24 goals and finishing with 56 points. The 2024-25 season also happened to be Lafreniere’s first full season in the WHL; in the 2023-24 season, he only played in nine games.

The Western Michigan University commit has taken a massive step in his development each season: from the Yale Hockey Academy in 2022-23, when he spent most of the season with the under-17 team, to now, Lafreniere has a 21-point increase from his draft year, is committed to an excellent University program, and earned an invite to the World Junior Summer Showcase this summer. Maybe the Oilers see what I see, and that’s a player who has progressed extremely fast and continues to get better.

I just brought up Lafreniere’s point jump, and during this past season, the versatile forward scored 41 goals and finished with 77 points in 67 games. From 24 goals in his draft year to 41 goals the next season, Lafreniere always used his shot (218 shots in 2024-25 and 242 in 2025-26), but it took another step up.

There aren’t many angles or positions that the new Broncos forward won’t shoot from. Lafreniere generates a ton of power on his shot as he pulls down his top hand to create the leverage needed. He doesn’t sweep at the puck; instead, he will snap it. Holds a great posture when shooting, with his feet and body pointed towards the net whenever he is releasing. Lafreniere can shoot off his front foot or back foot, and his accuracy is pretty strong as well. Lafreniere is mostly looking to shoot high; I’d like to see him try to get the puck a bit lower on some occasions, but it’s not a big concern.

Goal scoring is a lot more than just having a big shot. Timing is key. I think Lafreniere has improved his offensive zone timing a ton since being selected by the Oilers. Finding the soft spots in the ice and taking the right route around the offensive zone have all become strengths of Lafreniere’s game.

I have more examples of his offensive zone timing, but I think you get the point. Not only did the 19-year-old’s shot take a massive step forward, but his goal-scoring instincts did as well. That is the most important thing. Now it might take him some time to get the timing of the NCAA game down, but I believe Lafreniere will adjust and help out the offence.

Even if his goal-scoring doesn’t pop right off the bat, Lafreniere will still help Western Michigan win games with his other strength: relentless two-way work ethic. During the 2025-26 season, I got to watch a lot of the Kamloops Blazers, and of course Lafreniere. I saw the trusted assistant captain play every forward position and do very well at all three. Lafreniere was trusted to defend leads, kill penalties, and was always willing to move around the lineup. The hard-skating forward uses his mobility on the forecheck, the backcheck, and to take away any time the other team has.

The forward known for his goal-scoring isn’t too nice to play against, as you can tell. Lafreniere is hard on you; he will hunt you down for the puck, and he’s gonna give you the odd cross-check and slash. From these rankings, you probably know it by now, but I love a forward that will give you a consistent effort in all three zones. Defending is important, and it starts with the forward group. With the effort and care for the defensive side of the game, I like the potential of Lafreniere being a penalty killer when he hits the professional level.

I brought it up a few paragraphs ago, but another strength is his mobility. You can probably see that from the clips, but I think Lafreniere has some excellent boots with the potential to get even better as he gets stronger.

The 183-pound forward gets moving in a hurry. Lafreniere has a great base as he has his bum low with a hinge at the hips; his strides are long and quick, he generates a ton of speed with his crossovers, and has the first two-steps that will pull away from an opposing player. His outside edge use and ability to cut on a dime help in high-pressure situations when he has to escape or if he is just trying to change the pace of play.

Lafreniere isn’t going to “wow” you with his passing ability, but it’s good enough to make simple plays. But there are moments when he will hit you with a nice shot pass like the one below or a great pass off the wall to the middle of the ice. You just don’t see it enough, and I think it’s due to his shooter mentality.

These are some excellent plays, but it’s not at a Viljami Marjala level. Lafreniere wants to play the game fast; it’s like watching a Carolina Hurricanes player. The 6-0 tall forward is on you instantly, and when he gets the puck, he wants to push the pace and use his shot. Maybe with a few years of development at the college level, Lafreniere will start to slow it down once in a while and use his vision. That would be my only real knock: his playmaking ability is maybe average, but as I laid out, I think there is a path for it to be an above-average trait for him when he enters the AHL.

Paul Fischer’s 2026-27 projection and NHL timelines

I said at the start that I see Lafreniere’s style as a projectable one for the NHL, and I like his chances of being a bottom-six player on an NHL team. The great mobility mixed with the relentless work ethic defensively gives him an excellent floor case, much like William Nicholl. But the offensive tools on Lafreniere give him a better ceiling and a better chance at being an everyday NHL player. I don’t mind waiting on Lafreniere to finish his college career; I want him to continue to get stronger and flex his playmaking muscle. I think there is a fourth-line penalty killer here at minimum, but with some seasoning I see a world where Lafreniere can get you 10-15 goals on your third line one day. I doubt the new Bronco will be high in the lineup, as Lafreniere is a new player in the system, but I think he is going to be noticed quickly. Once you notice him and the work he puts in, it’s hard to ignore it.

Top 20 Oilers prospects for 2026-27

.