Most over-rated Edmonton Oilers still plugging along elsewhere in pro hockey

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They are, as a group, the most over-rated Edmonton Oilers of all-time. But they’re still plugging along in pro hockey.

Who are they? Bottom-pairing d-men in Edmonton, players who as young pros ere held up by large and vocal factions of the Oilers fanbase as budding NHL stars, surefire Top 4 defencemen-to-be, with all the fancy statistics you’d ever want to back up the claim.

But one after another failed to in his Oilers audition, then have struggled as well in other NHL organizations.

This list includes: Matt Benning, Ethan Bear, Caleb Jones, Jordan Oesterle, Martin Marincin and (in a different way) Vincent Desharnais.

This list has many similar players, mostly smaller d-men with NHL average-to-good puck-moving skills. None of them were high draft picks, but their lack of pedigree and inconsistent skill profile didn’t stop many fans from adoring them, promoting them, and gnashing their teeth at the presumed incompetence of the Oilers organization when they crashed in Edmonton and eventually were traded away after a few seasons.

The fact that not one of them stuck as a Top 4 d-man in another NHL city suggests maybe the Oilers were right to move on, and that the faction that so believed in each player simply had it wrong. I had it wrong on a few of them, I admit.

It’s a bold statement to say these are the most over-rated Oilers of all, especially given how so many fans have fallen for high pedigree offensive players like Rob Schremp, Nail Yakupov, Magnus Paajarvi and Jesse Puljujarvi.

But I’ll suggest there’s a special intensity to the hope invested in these bottom-end d-men, one similar to the optimism of the gold prospector scratching for decades for the one big find, the ego-driven aspect that rises high inthose who hope to have that rare ability to spot a diamond-in-the-rough.

These d-men tended to be most beloved by fans who put a lot of weight in modern era hockey analytics and fancy stats, the team-based on-ice numbers that attempt to rank individual players. The one exception to that is big Desharnais, who was adored by the old school, Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em faction of fans. They loved the size and aggression he brought to the team. But after two playoff seasons where Desharnais struggled to move the puck, it was time for him to go, at least when he was offered a major raise by Vancouver. But the Canucks quickly moved on from Desharnais as well.

Each summer I like to check up on where former Oilers have gone and how many are still playing pro. It’s always an interesting trip down memory lane and sometimes provides insight, such as today’s insight about not getting too high about the future prospects of young bottom-pairing d-men.

Evidently it’s super tough to break in as a Top 4 d-man in the NHL, even if there are hopeful signals that you might make it. Evidently it’s a brutal mountain to climb.

Other notables when we look at former Oilers d-men still playing pro hockey?

Most beloved: Ethan Bear had all kinds of folks cheering for him here. He was embraced and beloved by many. He had a decent point shot, a great outlet pass and was a sound positional defender. He looked like he might have found some magic with Darnell Nurse for a time. But not to be, in large part because of a lack of skating speed and agility, not to mention a few brutal turnovers in playoff games.

Biggest draft bust: David Musil. The Oilers drafted Musil out of the Oil Kings organization with high hopes, given his success as a junior and his hockey pedigree, son of the great Czech d-man Frank Musil. But David lacked the speed to stick in hockey’s toughest league.

Most regretted: Philip Broberg. Enough said.

Second most regretted: Larsson. His loss was a major blow to the Oilers, especially when compounded by injury issues for Andrej Sekera and Oscar Klefbom. The loss of those three stalwarts from the 2017 playoffs had much to do with Edmonton’s lack of success from 2018 to 2021.

Unsung hero: Brandon Davidson was drafted 162nd overall, but he kept plugging along, never giving up, out-performing more heralded prospects, and earning stints with the Oilers two different times, both times showing himself to be a useful bottom-pairing d-man. Davidson is still chugging along in the Czech league, playing on league champion Brno this past season.

Most likely to get another shot with the Oilers: If the Oilers needed playoff toughness and an insurance d-man, I could see them picking up Vincent Desharnais, tho only if the price was super low.

Most disappointing stint with the Oilers in a leading role: Such high hopes for Marincin, but he never stuck in Edmonton or as an NHLer.

Most disappointing stint with the Oilers in a minor role: Dmitry Samorukov looked like a find young player both in the Ontario Hockey League and in the KHL, but likely had the most disastrous cup of coffee in the NHL in his one Oiler game that I’ve ever seen.

The “Alexei Semenov Award” for best career for a former Oiler d-man in Europe: David Musil. If you will recall the massive Semenov was taken with the Oilers with a high pick, 36th overall, in the 1999 draft. A Russian playing in Sudbury, Semenov played four years in the Oilers organization, getting 103 games, but he failed to make it here, then in Florida and San Jose. But he returned to the KHL in 2009 and carved out a strong career as a shut-down d-man, playing until 2021. This year’s winner is Musil, who has much in common with Semenov. He was also a high pick, 31st overall in 2011 out of major junior, and is also a massive defensive d-man who failed to stick in Edmonton but has become a top shut-down d-man in the elite Czech league, where he’s now in his ninth season.

Best seasons in 2024-25: Larsson, Broberg, Musil, Brandon Davidson.

At the Cult of Hockey

LEAVINS: 9 Things, Why this Edmonton Oilers star deserves to shine on the biggest stage: 9 Things