2020-21 WHL Season Preview: Edmonton Oil Kings
As the 2020-21 WHL Regular Season comes to fruition, we preview each of the Clubs that will compete in an unprecedented divisional format featuring a 24-game schedule.
General Manager: Kirt Hill
Head Coach: Brad Lauer
2019-20 Record: 42-12-6-4 – 94 points
2019-20 Division Finish: First Place
2019-20 Top Scorers: C Riley Sawchuk (25-51–76); LW Jake Neighbours (23-47–70); RW Dylan Guenther (26-33–59)
2020-21 – 20-year-olds: C Scott Atkinson (13-13–26); C Kaid Oliver (22-25–47); D Ethan Cap (4-18–22)
2020-21 – Season Opener: Friday, February 26 vs. Lethbridge – 7 p.m. MT
Last Game: Saturday, March 7 – Oil Kings (1) at Tigers (4)
Overview: Central Division beware, this is an Edmonton Oil Kings squad that is fueled up and poised to fire on all cylinders in 2020-21, powered by an all-star cast, including St. Louis Blues draft pick Jake Neighbours and New York Rangers prospect Matthew Robertson on the blue line. Mix in second-year phenom Dylan Guenther, who is projected to go in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, and goaltender Sebastian Cossa, who is also rising up the 2021 NHL Draft charts, and the Oil Kings have star power at every position.
Not to be overlooked on the bench is Head Coach Brad Lauer, who in 2019-20 was named the WHL’s Coach of the Year. As nice as it is to have a talent-laden lineup, you need a quality bench boss to get the most out of them, and Lauer has proven to be exactly that.
Key Players: There’s no way to justify looking past the incredible playmaking abilities of 17-year-old Dylan Guenther. The hometown product enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign, registering 59 points (26G-33A) in 58 games en route to being named WHL Rookie of the Year. The 6-foot, 170-pound right winger brings a balanced approach upfront, and has some NHL scouts projecting him to go in the top 10 of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Guenther is joined by the aforementioned Neighbours, who was selected 26th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. A workhorse and natural-born leader, Neighbours racked up 70 points (23G-47A) in 64 games last season.
There’s plenty of character to go around the group, and it starts with 20-year-old Scott Atkinson, who embarks on his final WHL season and second campaign as captain of the Oil Kings. The product of Vancouver has enjoyed three full seasons in the WHL, skating in 175 career contests and tallying 70 points (30G-40A) along the way.
The Oil Kings blueline is anchored by Robertson, who was selected by the New York Rangers in the second round (49th overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft. He has 20-year-old vet Ethan Cap to help him carry the load.
In the blue paint is towering Sebastian Cossa. Standing 6-foot-6, tipping the scales at 206 pounds, and ranked as an ‘A’ list player on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch List, the product of Fort McMurray, Alta., will look to build upon a rookie season that saw him stack up 20 wins on the strength of a 2.23 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and four shutouts.
Tidbits: Because of NHL Return to Play Protocols governing over Rogers Place in Edmonton, the Oil Kings will temporarily play home games out of an alternate facility for the 2020-21 WHL Regular Season, taking to the ice of the Downtown Community Arena. Thankfully, the DCA is connected to Rogers Place, ensuring a relatively easy move for the Oil Kings… The Oil Kings announced a few staffing additions on Wednesday, bringing on Shaun Mahe (Video Coach / Hockey Operations Coordinator), Andrew Peard (Hockey Broadcasting & Media), and Erin Klatt (Gameday Operations)…