Edmonton Oilers draft pick Tommy Lafreniere shared his feelings regarding his opportunity to join stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Oil Country.

In an interview with Oilers Nation, Lafreniere made it clear how excited he was to join McDavid and Draisaitl in Edmonton.

He stated:

“I can’t even believe my name is in a sentence with those two. It’s so cool to even be drafted, I blacked out.

Lafreniere was the Oilers’ first selection in this year’s draft. The club didn’t have a first or second-round pick. So, Lafreniere went to the club in the third round with the 83rd overall pick.

The 18-year-old center finished the 2024-25 season with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL. He scored 24 goals and 56 points in 68 games.

His skills and upside prompted Edmonton to pick him in the third round. With the club needing as many prospects in the pipeline as possible, Lafreniere looks like a solid addition.

The article in Oilers Nation cited an NHL scout who compared Lafreniere to Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki:

“Think of a smaller Nick Suzuki.”

That’s a lofty comparison. If Lafreniere can live up to such comparisons, he should be a fantastic NHLer.

Having McDavid and Draisaitl to model his game after, Lafreniere could blossom into a key contributor for the team.

Oilers liked Lafreniere’s path to success last season

Tommy Lafrienere didn’t rocket his way into stardom in Canadian Junior Hockey. He had to work his way up the ladder to achieve success last season.

That’s precisely what drew the club’s to Tommy Lafreniere.

Oilers Director of Amateur Scouting Rick Pracey had nothing but praise for Lafreniere. Oilers Nation quoted Pracey, stating:

“We like his path. He had to take the long way. He was part of our efficiency model of a rookie player in the CHL. We like his production. He had to work his way up the lineup. He’s a skilled forward, makes plays, has a good stick—we think he’s going to take off offensively.”

Pracey believes that Lafreniere could hit another level next season as his team improves in the standings:

“He played on a bubble team lower in the standings, so we think the team’s going to improve, and we believe he’s going to be a significant part of it.”

Lafreniere will likely return to the Kamloops Blazers next season as an overager. He’ll have a chance to hone his skills for one more season before either turning pro or perhaps heading to the NCAA.

A good 2025-26 season, however, could prompt Edmonton to get Lafreniere within their development system as soon as possible. Such a situation would mean getting up close to McDavid and Draisaitl at one point or another.