The Edmonton Oilers’ worst non-first round picks: #2 Curtis Hamilton
The most notable was Taylor Hall, their first overall pick, who was supposed to spark the rebuild and elevate the Oilers to the next level. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen until the Oilers got their fourth number-one pick in a five-year span, Connor McDavid.
Hall was easily, and should’ve been, the best pick Edmonton made that year. They drafted three times in the second round, too and two of the picks had respectable NHL careers. Tyler Pitlick was the 31st pick, the first in the second round, and has gone on to play 420 games in the league, most recently with the New York Rangers. Later in that round, Martin Marincin heard his name called. He’s no longer in the NHL, now playing back in his home nation Czechia, but still played over 200 games between Edmonton and the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, Oilers fans won’t be happy to know Tyler Toffoli went to the LA Kings with the following pick. Wouldn’t that have been nice?
Either way, Pitlick and Marincin have found success in the NHL, but Edmonton’s third pick in the second round that year didn’t stick around in the league long.
Curtis Hamilton went 48th overall, two picks after Marincin. Hamilton was born in Washington State but played his junior hockey with the Saskatoon Blades in the Western Hockey League. Following his draft year, the Oilers prospect had a great year scoring 26 goals and 82 points in 62 games, which earned him a spot on Canada’ World Junior roster.
Eventually, Hamilton made his way to pro hockey. He spent the bulk of his first few years with the Oklahoma City Barons, the Oilers American Hockey League team, but didn’t find that offensive touch until the 2014-15 season. The Oilers called Hamilton after scoring 12 goals and 32 points in 63 games for Oklahoma, however, his stay in Edmonton didn’t last long.
It was the second to last game of the season when Hamilton earned his call-up. The Oilers were in San Jose to face the Sharks and needed a replacement for Matt Hendricks. With nothing to lose, Hamilton was thrust into action. He played 7 minutes and 30 seconds spread out over ten shifts, and got into a fight with Sharks forward Bryan Lerg, marking his first, and only game in the NHL.
That was it for Hamilton’s NHL career. The next season he signed in Europe where he spent the next seven years of his career before retiring in 2022, making stops in Czechia, Finland, Austria, and the United Kingdom.
Hitting on two of your three second-round picks was good for the Oilers. However, when you see players like Calle Jarnkrok, Justin Holl, and Jason Zucker go later in the round after Hamilton, you get left the feeling of what could’ve been.
