Tommy Lafrenière on joining McDavid and Draisaitl with Oilers: ‘I can’t even believe my name is in a sentence with those two’

When Tommy Lafrenière heard his name called in the third round of the 2025 NHL draft, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Getting drafted in the Edmonton Oilers organization — one with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — is something he never imagined.

“I can’t even believe my name is in a sentence with those two,” he told Oilersnation in an exclusive interview. “It’s so cool to even be drafted, I blacked out.”

Lafrenière notched 24 goals and 32 assists for 56 points in 68 games during the 2024-25 WHL season, finishing fourth among Blazers skaters and second among all WHL rookies in scoring.

The 18-year-old will return to Kamloops this fall for another WHL season, one he hopes to dominate. Lafrenière made noticeable strides throughout the season and, at times, was Kamloops’ most impactful player, arguably the top rookie in the WHL.

As the season wore on, his game only continued to get better. Lafrenière recorded 14 multi-point outings and delivered in clutch moments, setting up several game-winning goals. Lafrenière is a must-watch player and has the ability to be a game-changer.

With a creative touch, a nose for the net, and a flashy play style, Lafrenière possesses the kind of offensive toolkit that jumps off the page for a player of his size. According to sources, Lafrenière was considered for Canada’s Under-18 team this past spring but was ultimately left off the roster, something that will light a fire under him to get an invite to Canada’s World Junior team.

“He’s got the knack for being in the right spot at the right time, and his IQ is just so elite,” a former NHL general manager told Daily Faceoff.

An NHL Central Division scout echoed that sentiment: “Think of a smaller Nick Suzuki.”

That’s a comparison Lafrenière himself would welcome. In an interview with Blazer Hockey last season, he cited Suzuki and Brayden Point as players he models his game after: “Guys with strong hockey IQ and playmaking ability.”

Lafrenière becomes just the seventh player in Kamloops Blazers history to be drafted by the Oilers, joining Devan Dubnyk, Roman Tesliuk, and Max Gordichuk, all selected in the 2004 NHL Draft.

As for the Oilers, they like what they saw in Lafrenière,

“We like his path,” Oilers director of amateur scouting Rick Pracey said. “He had to take the long way. He was part of our efficiency model of a rookie player in the CHL. We like his production. He had to work his way up the lineup. He’s a skilled forward, makes plays, has a good stick—we think he’s going to take off offensively. He played on a bubble team lower in the standings, so we think the team’s going to improve, and we believe he’s going to be a significant part of it.”