The last time the Edmonton Oilers used their own first-round draft pick was October 2020, and the top song in Canada was Drake’s “Laugh Now, Cry Later.” Considering Dylan Holloway was that pick, and the Oilers haven’t found much in any round of all the drafts since, the irony stings for fans of the team.The Oilers’ 2025 draft haul has progressed well in the last 12 months. WHL forwards Tommy Lafreniere and David Lewandowski, along with college defenceman Asher Barnett, lead the way, and each should be considered a legit NHL prospect. All three were drafted outside the first two rounds; scouting director Rick Pracey has to be pleased with his staff’s performance.Oilers should be careful what they wish forSean Gentille and Sean McIndoeThe 2026 picksRoundPickStatus120Dealt to San Jose (Jake Walman)252Edmonton384Edmonton4116Dealt to Boston (Trent Frederic)5148Dealt to Nashville (Asher Barnett)6180Edmonton7212EdmontonThis is the current state of Edmonton’s draft board. The Oilers will be active this week, so it’s unlikely they will draft in the four specific spots currently held by the team. Based on recent performances by the scouting staff, the first two selections should have a chance to become top prospects in a shallow talent pool for the organization.The scouting staffAlways a moving target and destined to change by fall, the tracking of 2026 eligible prospects was conducted by the following scouts and executives.NameTitleRick PraceyDirector, amateur scoutingBob GreenChief amateur scoutAndy SlaggartDirector, NA recruitingMilan TichyDirector, Euro recruitingRon AndersonCollegeJim CrossonWHLScott HarlowNCAA, USHLJohn HullNCAA, USHLJoakim HolmEuropeMitch HolmbergWHLChristian VermetteQMJHLAaron NagyOHLJesse SaarinenEuropeThe structure of the scouting staff from the amateur side has morphed a great deal in recent years. There’s an entire layer of management listed above Pracey that could impact decisions around amateur procurement. Michael Parkatti and the analytics department will be a valuable tool in this area. All of those things being true, an NHL team is only as good as the eyes that see these prospects, good or bad.The scouts are aligned to their last reported territory, but the Oilers have scouts who see players in other areas, so it’s not a strict list of areas covered. It isn’t known how much remote scouting work is done, but anecdotal information and reporting suggest the Oilers are aggressive in live viewings, and the team’s scouts can be found in hockey buildings every night of the winter.The existing prospect poolThe 2025-26 season saw the Oilers deploy an impressive group of rookie forwards. Matt Savoie played the entire NHL season, Ike Howard and Josh Samanski played in over 20 games, and the team picked up a rugged winger in rookie Colton Dach at the deadline. That’s an impressive rookie crop.There isn’t much high-end skill behind it among prospect forwards. Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has done a good job in finding future checkers, but those top offensive pieces go early in drafts and cost dearly in trade. On the back end, defenceman Damien Carfagna was signed out of college and looks like he could play in NHL games next year after an impressive debut with the Bakersfield Condors in 2025-26. He has a range of skills and should be viewed as a real prospect for next season in Edmonton.