Ranking Edmonton Oilers’ all-time Top 5 strongest NHL draft classes

The Edmonton Oilers have had a tough track record in the NHL draft. The club has had entire draft classes that failed to make it to the NHL.

Other draft classes stand out by the sheer number of legendary players comprising them. Along the way, some of the team’s greatest players have been sprinkled in among largely forgettable picks.

Here’s a look at the top five Edmonton Oilers NHL draft classes as the club heads into the 2025 edition.

Top 5 Edmonton Oilers draft classes

#5 1996

Leading off is the Edmonton Oilers’ 1996 NHL draft class. In that draft, the Oilers took Boyd Devereaux with the sixth pick. He played in more than 600 NHL games, winning a Stanley Cup in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings.

At No. 59, the Oilers selected Tom Poti, an 800-game veteran. The Oilers also found Fernando Pisani in the eighth round at No. 195. Pisani was a lifelong Oiler, playing a memorable role in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final appearance. He played 60 games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010-11 to close out his career.

#4 2018

The Edmonton Oilers’ 2018 NHL draft class has yielded three solid NHLers. With the 10th pick, the Oilers selected Evan Bouchard, who has been a mainstay of the team's blue line over the last few seasons.

Edmonton picked Ryan McLeod in the second round at No. 40. McLeod was traded to the Buffalo Sabres last offseason. Michael Kesselring, now with the Utah Grizzlies of the AHL, was a sixth-round pick.

Current goalie Olivier Rodrigue was another second-round pick at No. 62.

#3 2014-2015

The 2014 and 2015 draft classes were a mixed bag for the Oilers. In 2014, the Oilers selected Leon Draisaitl with the third pick. In 2015, the club picked first again, grabbing Connor McDavid.

Beyond Draisaitl and McDavid, the other players to make the NHL have been largely pedestrian. William Lagesson was the only other player from the 2014 class to reach the NHL. Caleb Jones, Ethan Bear and John Marino have also made the NHL, now playing with various teams, with mixed results.

#2 1980

The Oilers’ first two NHL draft classes yielded the core that fueled the team’s 1980s dynasty.

Paul Coffey was the Oilers’ first-round pick at No. 6. Coffey won three Cups in Edmonton and one in Pittsburgh. Jari Kurri was a third-round pick at No. 69. He could ride shotgun with Wayne Gretzky in Edmonton and LA.

Goaltender Andy Moog, largely a backup for the Oilers, was a seventh-rounder at No. 132. He won three Cups in Edmonton before moving on to other clubs.

#1 1979

The Edmonton Oilers’ inaugural NHL draft class was hands down its best. Kevin Lowe was the team’s first-round pick at No. 21. Mark Messier was a third-rounder at No. 48, with Glenn Anderson a fourth-rounder at No. 69.

All three players made up the Oilers’ core that won four Stanley Cups, with Lowe, Messier and Anderson winning a fifth Cup in the post-Gretzky era. Lowe won a sixth Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994.