Analytics Takes Center Stage in Oilers' Offseason
The Edmonton Oilers' latest episode of The Drop, the team's behind-the-scenes show on Oilers+, offers an inside look at how analytics influenced the club's offseason decisions. The show, available to fans for a $60 season pass on the OEG app, features Michael Parkatti, who was promoted to vice president of analytics and tracking this summer. Parkatti, originally hired in 2023 in a data role, appears extensively throughout the draft portion of the episode, discussing how analytics and scouting are integrated.
Parkatti describes an internal app the Oilers use to track players, noting that he receives texts from general manager Stan Bowman at 1 a.m. requesting interface improvements that go into production the next day. He also explains that the team's free agency process translates player value into "wins over dollars," a philosophy that guided several negotiations.
Draft Day Strategy
Stan Bowman, the Oilers' general manager, discussed the team's draft strategy in the episode. He said trading down from the 52nd pick to the 58th pick, while also acquiring the 133rd pick, was a calculated gamble that paid off because the Oilers were still able to draft Rudolfs Berzkalns. The show also features Justin Mahe, director of hockey operations and player experience, and his brother Shaun Mahe, manager of hockey systems and design, alongside Parkatti in the draft room.
Free Agency Negotiations
The episode goes behind the scenes of the Oilers' busy July 1, revealing several key negotiations. The team planned to run a three-goalie system, with talks with Frederik Andersen in the $4 million range while also negotiating with Buffalo for Devon Levi. Bowman described the ideal approach as a three-goalie tandem featuring a young goalie, Andersen, and Tristan Jarry looking for a rebound.
In the free agency war room, the show covers the Ryan Shea negotiation, where the original ask was $4.5 million for four to five years, but the sides settled at $4 million for five years. The episode also details the Kasperi Kapanen signing: the Oilers initially offered $2 million, but bumped the offer to $2.6 million after the Darnell Nurse trade. Assistant general manager Bill Scott gave Kapanen the option of one to three years, and Kapanen chose one. Bowman noted he liked how Kapanen played under Mike Babcock in the past.
The Nurse trade situation is also covered, with the show depicting how eyes lit up in the room once Nurse said he would listen to San Jose, after which the ball got moving quickly and signings came fast afterwards. The episode also reveals that Edmonton asked about Claude Giroux from the get-go in free agency, but Giroux went back to Ottawa on a $2 million salary with up to $3 million in bonuses. Bowman was also blown away that agent Allan Walsh played with Babcock at McGill.
Development Camp Invites
The Oilers invited several notable players to Development Camp, including Abbey Murphy, Chloe Primerano, Caitlin Kraemer, and PWHL coach Erin Ambrose, as shown in the episode.
Perspectives
Darryl Sutter on Coaching and the Flames
In a separate segment, Darryl Sutter appeared on the Cam & Strick podcast, where he said that Johnny Gaudreau and Matt Tkachuk leaving the Flames should not have been a surprise considering how COVID went. Sutter also said he did not talk to the Edmonton Oilers about coaching and was not interested, citing that he and his wife decided three years ago they were done with coaching to focus on family and grandchildren. His book is set to come out in October.
Bonnyville Pontiacs Alumni Game
The Bonnyville Pontiacs celebrated their 35th anniversary with the franchise's first alumni game. Andy Doktorchik, the Pontiacs' franchise leader in points, attended after driving from Texas, having not visited since 1999. Doktorchik played 210 games from 1995-1999, scoring 117 goals and 268 points.