The Edmonton Oilers have been one of the most talked about teams to start the 2023-24 season after their unexpectedly horrendous start had them near the bottom of the Pacific Division. They’ve been fighting to keep themselves afloat considering their Stanley Cup hopes coming into the new season. Another storyline following the Oilers in recent days has been the fact they won’t have a single one of their prospects representing them at the 2024 World Junior Hockey Championship (WJC). It is the first time in over a decade the Oilers don’t have a single player on any country’s roster at the WJC.
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The Oilers do have some eligible prospects who can play at the 2024 WJC, but all of them have been dealing with injuries or simply weren’t selected by their respective countries. Former Oilers prospect Reid Schaefer represented his home country of Canada at last year’s tournament but he was not only traded to the Nashville Predators last season, but he also aged out from being eligible to play in the tournament as he turned 20 in September.
With nobody from their prospect pool going to the WJC this season, their focus will be on draft-eligible players who may stand out to them as steals in the later rounds. As contenders, it’s fairly likely the Oilers end up moving their first-round draft pick in 2024, so they’ll try to find some players who are flying under the radar and won’t have all the eyes on them like Macklin Celebrini will, who is the projected first overall selection at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
Akey’s Injury Keeps Him Out Of WJC
Perhaps the Oilers’ top prospect, defenceman Beau Akey played extremely well during the team’s preseason, unfortunately, he went down with an injury that will keep him out for the entire season after an electrifying start to his 2023-24 campaign with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). In his 14 games this season, he scored four goals and added five assists for nine points.
Akey’s red-hot start had him considered as a lock for Team Canada and would likely have represented the Oilers at the 2024 WJC, but unfortunately, he’ll have to wait until next season to have a chance at doing that. As an 18-year-old, he still has one more year of eligibility before he ages out. As a prospect who will likely help improve the Oilers’ defensive depth for many seasons once he…
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