Meet The New Guy(s) And Remember The Old (Young) Guys

While there are areas where fans may critique the Edmonton Oilers, amateur player acquisition is definitely not one of them. Short on draft picks, both in quantity and quality, the organization has invested significant capital in free agent spending in the collegiate ranks and Europe. Samanski, Leppanen and Carfagna have all performed well as free agent signings. This week the Oilers began that process again signing both a European UFA, Tomas Cibulka, and a NCAA free agent in Owen Michaels. Who are these players? How do they stack up against other signings? All this and the news and notes in this edition of the Edmonton Oilers Prospect Report.

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Tomas Cibulka

The 22 year-old left shot defensman is not unfamiliar with North America having spent three years in the QMJHL before returning to Czechia. While his numbers in his final season were essential at a point per game, it was not enough to secure a North American professional contract. In his two years since returning to Czechia, he has basically scored at a .40 points per game average. This season he was 10th in regular season scoring for defensmen with only one player outscoring him who was younger. This is a positive development as Cibulka will grow as a player given his age.

The offensive capability can be quite easily seen in Cibulka’s game. He is in constant motion on the attack and has nice puck skills to work with.

His lateral footwork is not great, but it is above average. He also has a nice understanding of how to set-up time and space for his teammates in the offensive zone.

Cibulka’s skating is a bit of a challenge for me. Structurally, he has a nice set up from top to bottom. He has very good upper body position. He also has good ankle and knee flexion. The stride is decently long and his skates return to position quite quickly. The issue is that he does not generate a lot of power to breakaway from players. He also does not use the cross-over technique very much, which I believe could help.

Yet, his skating is still good enough to get into positions to both defend and attack.

For his skating, I view it as an opportunity for improvement. He will need to do that for certain because he also a very slight player.

Cibulka is not small at 6’0”, but he is not heavy. The combination of his physical stature and lack of dynamic skating will challenge him in North American pro ranks. He has bite when he is in battles, but without some work to both skating and build, it will be a challenge.

If you’re thinking of what he may look like in Bakersfield, it is something along the lines of Cam Dineen. Not as good a skater, but there is a chance to improve. However, he has good offensive instincts like Dineen. In addition, he plays with some bite and assertiveness which will help. Overall, it is a very nice signing and at his age, there is an ability to project improvement to his game.

Owen Michaels

Let’s be clear. Michaels is not a replacement for Sam O’Reilly. Yes, he is a right shot center. However, O’Reilly’s overall skill package and age make him a dramatically better prospect. What Michaels is for the Oilers is a prospect who fits an area of need which is right shot center. Michaels is a very smart player who understands how to play system hockey. He is always above the puck and in good spots both defensively and offensively.

While you can see the smarts in his game, you can also see the area of concern: skating. He’s not Jayden Grubbe for certain, but he simply is not a very dynamic skater. Some of it is posture. He gets into a very crouched position and that does not allow for full extension of arms and legs in the stride. He also does not avail himself of the crossover technique very well either.

Again, you can see that his smarts and puck skills allow him to impact in this play, but he is working very hard to do so. Fortunately, skating is an area can improve. Michaels is 24 in a month, so there is still opportunity for him to enhance this element to his game. If he can do that, he has some really good pucks skills to go with his hockey sense.

This is a signing I like for the organization. He likely tops out at a 4C role on an NHL team. That said, it is hard not to be impressed with the success of the development group of the Oilers in the last year. Hutson, Clattenburg, Howard, Carfagna, Jarventie and Samanski have all outperformed. Some of that is part to the work of the coaches and development group in Bakersfield. Michaels has enough fundamentals skills that I believe the team can help him improve his overall game.

William Nicholl

The Oilers signed Wild Bill to a three-year entry level deal yesterday. For a 7th round pick, this is an amazing development. Not that Nicholl did not earn it. The young man had a tremendous draft plus one year scoring at more that a .80 per game clip. He took a step back this year due to off-season shoulder surgery that forced him to miss more than half a season. His scoring totals fell back to rough .66 points per game.

What I love about Nicholl is he has one tool that is NHL ready: his skating. He is an explosive skater who has lots of dynamic quality to it. His speed causes trouble for defenders every game. I mean watch this clip and enjoy.

Even off the puck, his speed influences plays that lead to scoring chances and goals. Watch this play coming off the end of a penalty kill.

Nicholl is a tenacious player who despite his build (6’0 and 183 pounds) is strong in battles.

The Bakersfield Condors are getting another player sure to be a fan favorite. Nicholl’s next challenge is to both learn to play center at the AHL level and to score at a higher rate. Nicholl could make 3C in the NHL, but his scoring skills need to improve.

News and Notes

David Lewandowski is having a strong start to the 2026 WHL playoffs. He leads his team in scoring at 2-3-5 in four games. Helping his team to a 3-1 lead over Edmonton. His shot has been an incredible weapon in this series.

Isaac Howard continues to improve his game. I’ve seen critique that he lacked effort in his game. I cannot agree with this assessment. Howard never shows me a lack of effort. He can cheat some times, get lost some times and just read plays wrong, but effort is not part of that in my books. In any event, Howard has become much stronger off the puck. He puts himself in good spots to help defend and create transition plays. He has tallied eight points in his last five games to go with 21 shots on net. This player is trending in the right direction.

Quinn Hutson has also revitalized his game. He has five points in his last five games and 14 shots on net. He is second in AHL rookie scoring race, but has played 6 games less than the leader. This has been a breakout success for the Oilers organization.

Tommy Lafreniere’s season came to an end last night. The Blazers were swept by the Kelowna Rockets. Lafreniere had an ok series scoring three points in the four games. However, he and the team struggled to defend and it cost them.

That is all for this edition of the Edmonton Oilers Prospect Report. Thank you for reading and see you next week.