After playing three games in the prior two days, Edmonton Oilers made their first cuts of training camp 2024 on Tuesday morning with the announcement that four recent draft picks have been returned to the Ontario Hockey League:
The quartet of late-round draft picks played a prominent role in the Penticton Young Stars tournament, then got a few days at main camp capped by an opportunity in each case to play one preseason game with the NHL club (or at least an early variation of it).
Zero surprises here, as the OHL regular season officially gets underway tomorrow, which is where all of these young hopefuls will pursue their development in 2024-25. In only one case was there a slight mystery about the player’s destination in the season to come. Their departure leaves 2024 first-rounder Sam O’Reilly and 2023 second-rounder Beau Akey — two of Edmonton’s top three prospects — as the only junior-age players remaining at camp. The departed quartet, meanwhile, all ranked outside the top 15 in our 2024 Oilers prospect rankings here at the Cult of Hockey, and their early departure was inevitable even as each showed some promise over the past fortnight.
G Nathan Day
He was the only player of those released who was attending his second camp, having been drafted in 2023. That was an especially meagre crop, as the Oilers had only three picks including Akey (#56), Day (#184) and NCAA forward Matt Copponi (#216), who was ineligible to attend camp.
Day played the first game at Penticton and had an outstanding performance in holding Vancouver to just 2 goals in a fairly lopsided contest, earning the headline and something of a rave review from yours truly:
- G Nathan Day #40 – Kept his team in the game early and late with a number of fine stops, and his pipes helped him out as well on about 4 occasions. Finally beaten on an odd-man rush early in the second, stopping the first shot but unable to contain the rebound. Made a pair of terrific stops in rapid succession off Canucks sniper Arshdeep Bains. Made a fine blocker save off a Danila Klimovich rocket from the top of the circle. The 2-0 goal was similar to the first in that a Canuck forward drove to the net front, forced one stop, but got a second crack at the rebound and put it away. Outstanding save to throw himself across the net to fend off a one-timer. Was left to his own devices in the late going as Vancouver continuously caught the Oilers out on the counterattack. Without doubt the star of the show from Edmonton’s perspective, stopping 28 of 30 shots.
Day came on in the third period at Calgary on Monday with the game already well out of reach. He faced just 5 shots, stopping 4, but was overwhelmed by a slot rocket by 31-goal scorer Yegor Sharangovich that would have beaten a whole lot of NHL-class netminders.
Day ranked #27 in our prospect countdown, where we concluded: “He’ll need to raise that [save percentage] bar significantly in the season to come in order to receive contract interest from the Oilers by the 2025 Jun 01 deadline.
His respectable showing at camp was a good first step in that direction.
W Connor Clattenburg
A fifth-round pick (#160 overall) in his second year of eligibility at the 2024 Draft, the 19-year-old arrived at his first Oilers camp with a reputation for physical play. Fair to say he played to that strength throughout his fortnight in western Canada.
My notes from two games in Penticton both spoke to that signature skill:
- LW Connor Clattenburg – The banging winger completed the first [line] and proved to be a decent choice thanks to his incessant physical play. His heavy pressure caused a Vancouver d-man to hear footsteps and cough up the puck, even as Clattenburg carried on to finish the check. Twice landed a pair of crunching checks on the same shift bringing his total to at least 5 hits in the first period alone. He continued to bang bodies for the duration, helpful on this night, but got little done the few times the puck found his stick including a dangerous chance right in front that slid off the end of his blade.
- W Connor Clattenburg – Physical winger met his match early when he got drilled in the corner by Liwiski, a 23-year-old who had 310 (!) PiM in the ECHL last year and another 26 in 7 AHL games. Later was heavily boarded by 25-year-old Dylan Anhorn, survived the crash, got up mad and proceeded to fill in his opponent with some solid punches. Somehow only coincidental minors were called after the bare-knuckled set-to. Made a good play to win the puck with an aggressive forecheck and feed it to a mate in the low slot, the type of sequence that will need to become a trademark if he is to make it in the pros.
He got his first shot an an NHL preseason game in Edmonton last night. I was tracking the split-squad game in Calgary so didn’t see it, but I note that in 11 minutes of ice time he was credited with no fewer than 8 hits, and also piled up 4 minutes in penalties in an altercation with Henry Mews. He had 1 shot on net but a -2 goal differential.
In ranking Clattenburg at #22 among Oilers prospects, we expressed the following expectations for the season to come: A cameo at Oilers rookie camp, then back to Flint for a third full OHL season to round out his game. Not impossible he’ll get an over-age season there as well, given the Oilers don’t have to reach a contract decision on this player until mid-2026.
To these eyes he raised those expectations with a positive first impression.
C/W William Nicholl
One of the most pleasant surprises of rookie camp, where the #196 overall pick consistently impressed with his skating skills and all-ice play, most notably on the defensive side of the puck
- LW William Nicholl – The other centre playing on the flank, he had no issue adapting. Did a nice job to fill the shooting lane and block a shot. Made a gorgeous area pass to De Jong for a close-in chance. Great defensive play, diving to break up a ten-bell opportunity.
- W William Nicholl — Impressed throughout this tournament with his elusive skating and sound fundamental play. Did some strong work in the trenches with Grubbe and de Jong to create some close-range looks. Terrific defensive stick to snuff a developing brushfire. Had a very effective 4-on-4 shift with his London Knights teammate O’Reilly, the duo taking the puck due north off a d-zone faceoff win and proceeding to cycle it in the good end of the ice. They also paired up on the PK.
Nicholl got his chance with (some of) the big boys in the first preseason game on Sunday night, where he played 14:55 with excellent shot shares but little in the way of individual stats. Once again, he made his strongest impression to this observer with his defensive play.
He was ranked #24 in our summer prospect countdown, where expectations for the season to come were short and simple: An elevated role in his second year in London.
He’ll be 18 throughout the season to come, as the Knights look to defend their OHL title. The “elevated role” is a given; this observer now has elevated hopes that he’ll become a key player on that powerhouse.
C Dalyn Wakely
Wakely was in his third year of eligibility when he finally got drafted at #192 overall this past June after a breakout season with North Bay Battalion. He finished third in OHL scoring with 104 points.
He too had a decent performance in Penticton with flashes of offence but no goals or points to show for it.
- C Dalyn Wakely – Attended this [tournament] as a Canucks invite last year, now as an Oilers draft pick. Made a fine driving rush wide of the d-man before cutting sharply to the net front for a stuff attempt, one of Edmonton’s best chances. Another decent shot from the wing with Nichol creating a disturbance in front. Not shy about mixing it up.
- C Dalyn Wakely — Again showed a propensity for getting behind the defence. Decent shot on a 2-on-1 rush. Snuck behind the D for a partial break and fired a high backhand drive that tested Milic. Got loose on the rush yet a third time to find a Grade B shot from the top of the circle.
He too played in the home game last night so I have no further observations beyond statistics of 11:10 TOI, 2 shots on goal, -2.
At 20 years of age, the Oilers had the option of signing the player, then assigning him to a professional league in the season to come. Indeed, that was my (incorrect) best guess in expressing these expectations for the #17 ranked prospect: First decision is where does Wakely play? Three different leagues are possible: AHL (Bakersfield Condors). ECHL (Fort Wayne Komets), or OHL, back in North Bay for an over-age season. The big question is where will he get the best opportunity to get ice time and continue to raise his game? Best guess here is after three full years of junior it’s time for a higher level, in whichever pro league fits best.
Not to be. Instead, the Oilers have elected to return him to North Bay Battalion for an over-age season, where the CHL Humanitarian of the Year will be expected to put up another big season.
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