2011 Develpment Camp

Colten Teubert is one of many young prospects who will be part of next week's development camp. Five goalers, 10 defensemen and 16 forwards will attend, although some of the players are not Oiler prospects.

Guy Flaming is all over this with a terrific article on his blog. Here's a look at some of the most interesting stories.

GOALERS

1. Olivier Roy: Signed a pro contract after a solid year in the QMJHL. Roy's resume contains positives we don't see from lower end prospects but lacks the consistency we generally associate with elite level goalies as they graduate their junior careers. He made the WJC team but lacked consistency there, too.
2. Tyler Bunz: He could be the real deal. Tyler Bunz has been kicking out the jams for about a year now. The young St. Albert goalie enjoyed an impressive season followed by a strong playoff (sidetracked a little by injury). I've ranked him as the top goalie prospect in the system.
3. Samu Perhonen: Drafted last week in the third round, the more I read about him the more he impresses. Great tools, "lively size" and all kinds of good things. I don't quite know what to expect, but would guess that he's going to be impressive at camp.
4. Frans Tuohimaa: Well, we've gone a week without finding out much. Willis likes him, saying "Tuohimaa is the sort of selection that has an outside chance at a career that really matters, as opposed to a good chance at being a solid below-NHL professional."

DEFENDERS

1. Colten Teubert: The first half of the Penner trade will have a chance to introduce himself to Oilers faithful. I'm not sure much physical contact there is in these development camps but it should be fun to see how big he is compared to the younger blue.
2. Dillon Simpson: Just drafted, he's one of several new Oilers who will be at the camp next week. There are some conflicting scouting reports on him--some suggesting a pure defenders and others stating he has some offense in him--so we might get a chance to see if he can make a headman pass.
3. Martin Marincin: Hopefully he's gained a few pounds and is stronger. Marincin had an exceptional first half of the WHL season, but flagged after Christmas. He had played long seasons before, but the travel/compete level seemed to have worn him out a year ago.
4. David Musil: The great thing about this guy is that he's a throwback and could be an integral part of the Oiler team when they're good again. Scouting reports suggest he is as defensively aware as an Oiler prospect in the system. Definitely a player to watch.
5. Martin Gernat: Stu (Magnificent Bastard) MacGregor caused a stir earlier this week when he said the Oilers had this player in their top 35 overall for the draft. Why? We should begin to find out the answer next week.

FORWARDS

1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: The #1 reason to attend the camp. RNH can start impressing brass right away with a strong showing.
2. Tyler Pitlick: It'll be good to see if he's completely recovered from injury--there were rumors he could have returned if the Tigers had gone deeper into the second season--so hopefully we'll hear stories about his offensive skills from this camp.
3. Curtis Hamilton: This is a very important year for him. It's likely that Hamilton will spend the entire season in OKC, so a 20-goal year with solid reviews from the coach should be the goal. It starts at this camp.
4. Tanner House: This is an interesting player. He comes to the organization with the reputation of being solid in the faceoff circle and defensvively aware. That's an area of need for the Oilers throughout the organization.
5. Connor Jones: Kellen's brother, they both play at Quinnipiac and you'd have to believe there's a chance the team eventually signs him.
6. Anton Lander: He's going to be in a race for 4line C based on what the roster looks like currently, so an impressive camp here (Lander's skills should be obvious in this group) could be a nice starting point for the fall.

The Oilers story and complete list is here.