Sleeper

This is Esa Tikkanen. He's one of the reasons I'm so fond of the Finns (others include Jari Kurri, their fan's public drunkenness during any international hockey tournament, and their SM-LIIGA team sites have cheerleaders. Jokerit calls them "cheer up teams" and God knows we could have used one of those this season).

For those who don't remember, Esa Tikkanen arrived as kind of a bonus. If HF had been around back in the day, it is extremely unlikely Guy Flaming would have been trumpeting his arrival in North America. Esa was taken in the 4th round of the 1983 draft (82nd overall), about 15 spots below where JF Jacques was taken.

Tikkanen played in the SJHL for the Regina Pat Blues (he did play in the WHL for 2 games as a 16 year old) but spent his draft year playing in Finland for Helsinki (he had a solid WJC, 7gp, 2-3-5) in the Finnish Junior League (he scored 34 goals in 30 games).

I remember the Oilers talking about Raimo Summanen a lot more than they talked about Tikkanen, but from the first time he played for them (in the playoffs, spring 1985) it was obvious he was something else. Great player, miss watching him a tremendous amount.

I'm wondering if there is a hidden gem amongst the Oilers prospects as we speak. I'm not saying he has to be 20-years old and play with skill and an edge, but the Oilers have had a few nice players come out of nowhere over the years. Recent examples might be Fernando Pisani, Marc Andre Bergeron and Patrick Thoresen.

So, understanding Craig MacTavish's attention to detail, the Oilers recent experience with inexperience, and the coach's increased role in procurement, can we identify a player or two from outside the so-called blue chippers?

First, let's make a list of the Oilers top prospects. I'll do 25, this is a random list not in any order. Slava Trukhno, Andrew Cogliano, Rob Schremp, Marc Pouliot, Tom Gilbert, Devan Dubnyk, Robert Nilsson, Taylor Chorney, Denis Grebeshkov, Ryan O'Marra, Jeff Petry, Kyle Brodziak, Jeff Deslauriers, Alexei Mikhnov, Brian Young, Dragan Umicevic, Theo Peckham, Jozef Hrabel, Fredrik Petterson, Mathieu Roy, Glenn Fisher, Cody Wild, Danny Syvret, JF Jacques, Zach Stortini.

Outside those 25, who might the coach tap this fall?

RW Colin McDonald: He played for Providence College, who apparently outlawed the forward pass and went to student body left, student body right offense. McDonald is a big kid (6-3, 205) and his scouting reports have been in sharp contrast to his unimpressive college scoring totals. He'll be 23 on September 30 and they haven't even signed him yet (his college career is over), but McDonald may surprise. His 13 goals led his team, and only one other player had more than 6 goals. In their entire season, Providence scored 76 goals. That total (McDonald scored 17% of his team's goals) isn't Rob Schremp in his final year of junior (he scored 19% of his team's 299 goals) but it might indicate he is a better offensive player than the numbers imply. When Fernando Pisani played at Providence College as a senior, his club managed 114 goals (Pisani scored 14, or 12%). I'm not saying he's Pisani, but they were similar in terms of where they ranked on their respective clubs (you could argue both were the second best offensive options for their teams). Then again, what makes Pisani special was that he became Pisani, not where he started from in college. Either way, an interesting player if they sign him and a possible sleeper.

RW David Rohlfs: Now this guy is HUGE. 6-3, 235. He played defense for much of his college career, but switched back to RW (he played on TJ Hensick's line) and had a solid year. Rohlfs has a funny name, has been overshadowed by more skilled players throughout his career, but with his size and the coaching he's already received (Michigan is an outstanding college for hockey players) Rohlfs might be the sleeper in this bunch.

C Jonas Almtorp: Another wonky name, this guy impressed in camp last fall and looks to have had another consistent season in the Swedish Elite League. He's got decent size, is a good skater and is described as being aware of his defensive duties. He's a player who might get a shot if the Oilers make one or two of those 3-for-1 deals involving a center like Pouliot.