Revisiting the 2024 NHL entry draft - how did the Oilers make out?

Don't you hate those convoluted trades? I sure do. :) Anyway, RWer O'Reilly set his junior B team on fire by putting up 26 goals and 63 points, along with 63 PIMs, in a mere 35 games, then followed that up with six more goals and 11 more points in eight playoff games. He then jumped straight up to major juniors for the London Knights of the OHL, putting up no offense in five regular season games along with a -5 and also no offence in three more playoff games.

However, in a lesson that shows that we shouldn't judge a player based on one season of hockey, O'Reilly broke out in a big way, scoring 20-36-56 in 68 games for the Knights, along with 34 PIMs and an eye-popping +32. That's a crazy awesome improvement from one season to another. Oh, and did I mention that he followed that up with 5-7-12 in 16 playoff games? Between O'Reilly and Matt Capponi, the 2023 seventh round pick, the Oilers should be well stocked for the future in terms of power forwards with a physical side. O'Reilly was a key contributor on a London Knights team that won the OHL championship and lost in the Memorial Cup to their OHL opposition the Saginaw Spirit (Saginaw was hosting the Memorial Cup so they got an automatic berth in it). Ironically, London beat Saginaw in the third round of the OHL championships, only to lose to them in the Memorial Cup finals. Crazy.

Fun facts - Jarome Iginla's son Tij was drafted by the Utah hockey club sixth overall. He looks well on his way to following in his sniper father's footsteps. Also, the first overall pick was Macklin Celebrini by the Sharks, who is likely jumping straightaway from Boston University to the San Jose Sharks - Celebrini is billed as the next generational talent so Sharks fans can now enjoy the hype that comes from drafting a generational player just like Oilers fans did in 2015 after Connor Mcdavid was drafted.

Trending up or down? Up, definitely up. Good pick.