We Goin'... We Goin....To Ticky Town!!

Penticton: Home of the BCHL Vees, Peachfest, Boonstock, Elvis Fest and the 30km per hour speed zone.

Welcome to Penticton! If you find yourself in town this weekend for the annual Young Stars Tournament (the only good thing the Canucks have ever done for me) please take time to enjoy the beautiful weather, stroll along our two gorgeous lakes, imbibe at one of the many wineries, and inhale the wafting aroma of Ben Gay....Yes, Penticton is one amazing resort city but it's also home to more retirees per capita than Florida.

My wife and I left Winnipeg 5 years ago to escape the harsh prairie winters a year before the Jets returned to the NHL. Having not seen live NHL hockey since 1995, I was pretty choked to say the least. However, in its stead I was able to witness the birth of a prospects based tournament showcasing the talents of young up and comers, blue chippers, and no hope in hellers here in our new home.

As an Oiler fan, this yearly competition was perfect. The team was in a state of suck flux and was stockpiling young talent and number one picks. I witnessed them all before their first taste of NHL action. The first year I saw Hall, Eberle and Paajarvi wow the crowd. The next year, Nuge was absolutely outstanding and impressed with his puck prusuit (the thing was never far from his stick everytime he was on the ice). Unfortunately, Young Stars was cancelled during the lock-out season, but last year I got a taste of Darnell Nurse who started out shakier than a new born foal, but got stronger as the games wore on....you just knew this kid was going to be a beast.

This year, we have a new crop of picks to put our eyes on. There's Leon Draisaitl: Edmonton's only answer to everyone's questions about the second line center, Bogdan Yakimov: a wild card from Russia with a bag full of good arrows and Iiro Pakarinen: a Finn!

There's also a few returnees to the fold and we'll see how they've progressed from a year ago. Darnell Nurse: said to have made great strides in his game, Greg Chase: had a breakout year offensively, and Jujhar Khaira: is now larger than the gap in Zack Kassian's teeth.

If you can't make it to Ticky Town, you can stream the games live on Oilers.com. I will also be posting full reviews of all three games this weekend here. In the meantime, let's meet a few of the stand-out prospects and see what they're all about...



Leon Draisaitl: This is the big, strong, offensively gifted center the Oilers have been missing in their line up to compete in the Western Conference for some time. I'm just not sure that at 18, he's quite ready to step into that role right away. It's a lot to ask of a kid just cutting his teeth in the best league in the world. Unfortunately, it looks as though he's got little choice as the Oil haven't been able to do anything to bring in some depth at center while he develops. It's sink or swim time for yet another Edmonton top prospect. As far as his playing ability goes, Draisaitl was a dynamo for a not so good Prince Albert Raiders team, racking up 38 goals and 67 assists in just 64 games. A smart playmaker, he has eyes in the back of his head and uses his large 6'2" frame to shield defenders from the puck. I just hope the team doesn't ruin him before he's had a chance to reach his potential.

Jujhar Khaira: A 20 year old center who stands at 6'4" and weighs 215 lbs who competes to his size. Khaira has some grit to his game and loves to go to the net. Like him already? Me too. The only question mark with him is his offense, he scores about as often as a nerd in high school. Last year, Khaira posted 43 points in 59 games in the WHL on a defensive minded Everett Silvertips team. He showed well in a brief stint with the OKC Barons at the end of the year and all things being equal he should spend the year there competing against men in the AHL. If he continues on his trend, he may end up with some games with the big club. This could be the fourth line center we've been waiting for.

Mitchell Moroz: A big, punishing winger (sensing a theme here?), the 6'3" 215 pound winger won the Memorial Cup with the Edmonton Oil Kings last year. But he's not just a bruiser. In spite of his 156 penalty minutes, Moroz also scored 35 goals and racked up 63 points in 70 games. He also displays good leadership skills and could be another perfect fit in the Oilers bottom six in a few years.

Iiro Pakarinen: Signed in the off-season, this Finn progressed the offensive side of his game enough to get a look from a few NHL teams, including Edmonton. He is expected to compete for the last spot on the fourth line next to Gordon and Hendricks, but I smell a Lennart Petrell in the making. Unlike Petrell however, this player doesn't shy away from the physical aspects of the game and seems to love getting his nose dirty. You may also recognize his name, but have difficulty placing it. He's the Finnish skater responsible for ending team Canada's World Cup this past summer with a weak-ass slapper that beat none other than Ben Scrivens for the game clinching goal. I wonder how they'll get along in the dressing room...

Bogdan Yakimov: 6'5", 202 lb Russian center. Many of the Oiler brass are giddier than the front row of a One Direction concert over this guy. If all goes well developmentally, the Oilers can envision a center depth chart that starts with Nuge, then Drai, followed by Yakimov and then Khaira. The currently height weight challenged Oilers would all of a sudden average 6'3" and over 210 lbs...somebody pinch me! Yakimov only scored 12 points in 30+ games playing for Yakupov's home town KHL team back in Russia, but as is the way of rookies in that league, was given very little playing time.

Greg Chase: Being a seventh round selection must have pissed off this 19 year old worse than Chef Ramsay during dinner service. Fortunately for him, Chase channeled all of his anger into proving himself. Last year he increased his point total by 36 pts for a total of 85 in seventy games playing for the Calgary Hitmen. His increased production has turned a few heads and landed him an invite to the World Junior Camp this past off-season. In return for his inclusion, the right winger made himself one of the best players on the ice in order to force his way onto a very tight roster to crack. He's also over 6' and 200lbs and plays with an edge...music to my ears.

Vladimir Tkachev: Check out a couple of this guys goals on Youtube. There is no doubting this 18 year old's foot speed or his hands. No, the only thing in question is the 5'8" 168 lb frame they're attached to. He's been brought in on a try-out contract and I'm anxious to see what the little guy can do. Is he the next St. Louis? Or more likely, the next Linus Omark? Just don't do any spin-o-ramas. That sh&$ is played out.

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One year, a few of the players at the tournament one evening "tied one on". Although no one came forward when this boat was found the next morning, I'm pretty sure those responsible team's name ended in 'anuck'.

Darnell Nurse: The crown jewel of the prospect crop. Every single member of the Oilers organization has their fingers crossed that this guy becomes Pronger-Lite. At this point, Darnell doesn't have as much offensive acumen as 'Prongs' but he's every bit as nasty. In 2014, Nurse imposed his will on other players and took liberties on anyone who even thought about coming near his net. After being one of the final cuts in training camp last year, he's done everything he can to make sure he makes it as hard as possible for him to be let go this time around. At 6'4" 185 lbs, he certainly has quite a bit of room to fill out his tall frame and looks a little more giraffe than thoroughbred. That being said, the weight will come. The talent is already there.

Dillon Simpson: He may be Craig Simpson's son, but Dillon as earned his right to be where he is. After playing out his college years at UND he's being given a chance to crack the OKC line-up. More of a stay at home defender, Simpson seems good at everything but stellar at none. Same can be said of his size. At 6'2" he won't intimidate many players, but he can certainly hold his own.

Martin Gernat: A compareable to Marincin. Gernat is tall at 6'5" and has some weight to put on but his offensive abilities are promising. With a year or two more AHL sesoning, Gernat could start to push for an NHL job. A couple of the big knocks on him are consistency and competitive edge. Other than that, he seems to have as many tools as Mike Holmes

Ben Betker: I was impressed with Betker's play at last time he was in Penticton, but throughout the season afterwards, I stopped seeing his name come up in prospect discussions. Impossible to miss on the ice at 6'6" 215 lbs Betker controlled the play, squeezed off attackers and contributed in the offensive zone. I'm rooting for this guy and if he can put it together and progress his way onto the Barons in the next year or two, he could become a real NHL player. A defensive defensman, he did improve his offensive stats by a wide margin this past year, Betker may need to improve his skating in order to make the jump, but he looks like the Sears Tower on skates.

David Musil: This 6'4", 200lb 21 year old is a dying breed of stay at home defenseman. He's not a great puck handler, his foot speed is on the slow side and his shot is nothing to write home about. But, he can defend. He's kind of like a a young Disney actress who can't sing, dance, model or annoy the piss out of everyone.

Ok that's it. I apologize for the lack luster effort on this post. I'm short on time and I've got a game to get to. I can't wait to tell you all about the game tonight!!

Go Oil!! And down with the 'Nucks!!