Embarrassing report on Oilers old scouting department surfaces

In that draft, Edmonton traded down 2 places to select Xavier Bourgault, a decision that was made by the now unpopular former scouting director Tyler Wright.

The 22-year old Xavier Bourgault is still in the AHL, trying to prove he belongs in the NHL, and not doing a good job of it. Edmonton has since traded Bourgault to the Senators for Roby Jarventie, a promising prospect currently in the AHL.

Some good can still come from that 2021 draft mess-up.

At the time, Oilers could have selected goaltender Jesper Wallstedt with its 20th selection, but of course did not, despite him being regarded as the draft's top goalie prospect, and were then, like now, in need of a goalie.

In his 6 games with the Minnesota Wild, Wallstedt has a record of 4-0-2, with a 2.10 GAA and a .924 SV%, including 2 shout-outs. For a club that is in need of a quality starter, they certainly use Jesper Wallstedt now.

But hindsight is 20/20, as they say.

To add salt to the wound, then Oilers' scouting director Tyler Wright could have selected current star Wyatt Johnston, who ended up going one selection later at 23rd, after Bourgault.

It seems Paul Coffey at the time was high on Wyatt as the team's pick; but again, hindsight and all that. He currently has 11G and 21 points in 20 games with the Stars.

It pays to have a solid scouting department, to state the obvious, and to expand the market it watches, so as to minimize this kind of poor decision making; you can't avoid mistakes altogether, but at least they can be rationalized.

Not selecting a goaltender when your team is in need of one, and the best of that year's draft class, no less, seems to me like they dropped the ball.

But that's just me.