When the Oiler’s drafted Evan Campbell there was a segment of fans that had wondered whether the Oiler’s wasted a draft pick. But I think almost two years after the selection Campbell might be turning out better than what we would have estimated.
Here is a list of NHL drafted (signed) players born in 93 – 94 in the Hockey East with their points / game.
| Player | DOB | Draft | GP | PTS | PTS/G |
| Kevin Roy | 20-May-93 | 4th #97 2012 | 35 | 44 | 1.257143 |
| Daniel O’Regan | 30-Jan-94 | 5th #138 2012 | 37 | 45 | 1.216216 |
| Devin Shore | 19-Jul-94 | 2nd #61 2012 | 39 | 35 | 0.897436 |
| Evan Campbell | 1-Mar-93 | 5th #128 2013 | 34 | 27 | 0.794118 |
| Frankie Vatrano | 14-Mar-94 | Undrafted Signed with Bruins | 36 | 28 | 0.777778 |
| Mario Lucia | 25-Aug-93 | 2nd #60 2011 | 42 | 32 | 0.761905 |
| Thomas DiPauli | 29-Apr-94 | 2th #100 2012 | 41 | 29 | 0.707317 |
| Adam Gilmour | 29-Jan-94 | 4th #98 2012 | 37 | 26 | 0.702703 |
| Mark Jankowski | 13-Sep-94 | 1st #21 2012 | 33 | 23 | 0.69697 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | 19-Oct-94 | 4th #120 2013 | 37 | 24 | 0.648649 |
| Zach Sanford | 9-Nov-94 | 2nd #61 2013 | 37 | 23 | 0.621622 |
| Robbie Baillargeon | 26-Nov-93 | 5th #136 2012 | 26 | 15 | 0.576923 |
| Steven Fogarty | 19-Apr-93 | 3rd #72 2011 | 39 | 21 | 0.538462 |
Campbell doesn’t seem so far off after comparing to similar players. He is ahead of a couple of high picks, notably Jankowski & Lucia and is in the range with similar 5th round picks. Kevin Roy and O’Regan are well ahead of the field. Although, I believe, O’Regan was a linemate of Eichel and his scoring doubled from the previous year. Still an interesting prospect nonetheless.
Here is a scouting report from Tyler Thomson (Dobber Sports) Campbell has adequate size and hockey sense to go along with a strong work ethic. While his scoring has never impressed over his young career, it appears Campbell’s value comes from a strong two-way game. He will continue to grind away with U-Mass until he is pro-ready.
Jeff Cox from SBNation had the following scouting report after taking in a UMass game. “This was my first viewing of the River Hawks this season and it comes as no surprise that the Port Moody, British Columbia native has significantly picked up his production this season compared to his rookie campaign. He was held scoreless on the night, but he made several strong, powerful moves to the net. He uses his speed and size to leverage defenders from the puck. He was phenomenal at the faceoff dot, going 17-6. Overall, it seems as if Campbell has really elevated his game to start his sophomore year.”
Hockey’s Future has this too say about Campbell; “He is a big powerhouse center with a gritty playing style. Campbell is the first player drafted directly from the BCHL’s Langley Rivermen. His technical skills and skating ability are considered average but his package of size, determination and work ethic attracted the attention of Edmonton scouts.
When I looked to see how Campbell was tracking versus a player like Riley Nash (Nash was well ahead of Campbell by the way) I noticed a teammate on Nash’s collegate team that had a similar route too Campbell. The player was drafted in his +2 draft year in the BCHL and had moderate success in NCAA.
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts |
| 2005-06 | Nanaimo Clippers | BCHL | 56 | 27 | 35 | 62 |
| 2006-07 | Cornell University | ECAC | 31 | 11 | 8 | 19 |
| 2007-08 | Cornell University | ECAC | 36 | 14 | 19 | 33 |
| 2008-09 | Cornell University | ECAC | 36 | 15 | 16 | 31 |
| 2009-10 | Cornell University | ECAC | 34 | 15 | 20 | 35 |
The player in question – Colin Greening.
If you want to look at the downside here they are;
- Campbell, although tracking fine, is still a long shot to play in the NHL.
- He likely doesn’t have much in the way of offensive upside
- He’s likely a bottom six player at best.
- Acquiring these types of players is easier than acquiring the top end players.
If you want to look at the positives here they are;
- When he was drafted the Oiler fans did not like the selection. He is on par with similar players drafted by other organizations.
- Offense will likely not be his calling card but he has proven that he can chip in a bit with that regard.
- Campbell is playing in a good division and is playing top line minutes.
- Although acquiring ‘bottom six’ players are easier than acquiring top 6 players. Developing your own players prevents potentially overpaying for this type of player on the open market. The H-G-K line next year will make over 5 million.
- Campbell plays in all situations; he’s gritty, good defensively and a good faceoff man.
- He sounds a little bit like a former NCAA currently with the Oiler’s Matt Hendricks.
So a couple of years after the draft Campbell is drafting on par with his peers and has two more development years left. I think he’s doing alright.
