The Edmonton Oilers won’t be too busy at the upcoming 2025 NHL Entry Draft, but they will still have a few selections to make this time around. Their first selection comes in the third round at 83rd overall, and while there is never a guarantee that a star can be selected at that point in the draft, they still have some solid options. Here are three potential targets for the Oilers at 83rd overall in the upcoming draft.
Reese Hamilton
I wrote a little earlier this month on Reese Hamilton and what he could bring to an NHL team if anyone decides to take a chance on him, and while this might be a bit of a reach, the Oilers could see take him to make sure he doesn’t get snatched up before their 117th overall selection. Hamilton is a solid defender who had a bit of a down year and has had some issues with consistency, but his ability to stickhandle and his strong skating ability make him an exciting prospect.
Reese Hamilton, Regina Pats (Photo credit: Mark Peterson)
Hamilton’s inconsistency might turn some teams away, especially this early in the draft, but the Oilers would benefit from adding a defender to their prospect pool. If he continues to improve his two-way game and can find a way to become more consistent at both ends of the ice, he has the potential to become a bottom-pairing defender at the NHL level. He has all the skills in his toolbox to have a real shot at getting to the professional level; he just needs some fine-tuning at the junior level.
Luka Radivojevic
Luka Radivojevic is more of a hopeful selection here, considering he is expected to go much earlier and likely won’t be available to the Oilers at 83rd overall, but if he is, it should be a no-brainer to bring him in. His offensive IQ is incredible, and he is a natural playmaker, but he could benefit from improving his two-way game at the junior level before he makes the jump to professional hockey.
Related: 2025 NHL Draft Guide
His play away from the puck and his physicality could use some improvement, but his skill set makes him another exciting prospect. He is committed to playing for Boston College in the NCAA next season and played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Muskegon Lumberjacks this season. In 38 games with the Lumberjacks, he scored three goals and added 19 assists for 22 points. He will continue to improve his offensive game in the NCAA and could become a strong addition to the Oilers’ prospect pool should he be available to them.
Bryce Pickford
The third target for the Oilers could be right-shot defender Bryce Pickford. He is from Edmonton, Alberta, and played with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season, where he scored 20 goals and added 27 assists for 47 points through 48 games, maintaining just under a point-per-game average.
His offensive game is already quite strong, but he is another defender who could benefit from some fine-tuning with another year or two at the junior level. The Oilers would benefit from adding a right-shot defender to their prospect pool, and bringing in someone who is a hometown player would be a cool touch to the draft for them.
At the end of the day, the Oilers will have to make a tough choice. The 83rd overall selection isn’t an early one by any means, but if they have done their research this season and have some names in mind, they could find a steal who could eventually play in the NHL.
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