Six Oil Kings Listed in NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings
WHL Edmonton Oil Kings

Six Oil Kings Listed in NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings

Published on April 16, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Edmonton Oil Kings News Release


Edmonton, Alta. - Six Edmonton Oil Kings have been named in NHL Central Scouting's Final Rankings ahead of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Five skaters make the list for North American Skaters with Ethan MacKenzie (62nd), Dylan Dean (88th), Noa Ta'amu (109th), Andrew O'Neill (150th), and Lukas Sawchyn (151st) all seeing their names on the list. On the goaltending side, Parker Snell is ranked 19th among North American Goalies.

MacKenzie slides up 12 spots from his mid-term ranking after a career year with the Oil Kings. MacKenzie played 59 games, scoring 22 goals and added 36 assists for 58 points. He is just the second Oil Kings defender to reach 20 goals in a season, and also just the second to reach 10 powerplay goals in a season as well. The Peachland, B.C. product also represented Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Minnesota this year, scoring five points in seven games, helping Canada win bronze at the event.

In the playoffs, MacKenzie had three points in seven games for the Oil Kings.

Dean, a rookie with the Oil Kings this year jumps up eight spots from his mid-term ranking. The Maple Grove, MN, U.S.A, product played in 52 games this season, scoring 15 goals and adding 14 assists for 29 points. He was also a +21 on the season and added three points in seven playoff games.

Ta'amu, just finishing his second season with the Oil Kings, nearly doubled every offensive category from his rookie season. The San Diego, CA, U.S.A product played 62 games, scoring three goals and adding 12 assists. He also earned 81 penalty minutes, and was a +29. In the playoffs, Ta'amu scored one goals in seven games.

O'Neill, in his first season in Edmonton did it all for the Oil Kings. The product of Fargo, N.D., U.S.A, scored 20 goals and added 23 assists for 43 points. Four of his goals came on the powerplay, and two were shorthanded. He also had four game winning goals. O'Neill was also one of the most reliable Oil Kings in the faceoff circle this season leading the team in attempts with 1077 and winning 51.7% of his draws.

MacKenzie, Dean, Ta'amu, and O'Neill also all represented Team East at the 2026 WHL Prospects Game in Langley in February.

Sawchyn jumps up 17 spots from his mid-term ranking after his career year with the Oil Kings. The 2007-born forward scored 27 goals and added 61 assists for 88 points on the season along with a +34 rating. Sawchyn ranked third in the WHL in assists, and tied for seventh in points. His 61 assists are the third-most in a single season in Oil Kings history, and his 88 points are seventh most in team history. He also had six game winning goals which were second-most on the team this year. In the playoffs, Sawchyn had seven points in seven games.

Meanwhile, Snell jumps up two spots from his mid-term ranking after a rookie season that added him to the Oil Kings record books. Snell was 21-9-1-0 on the season with a 2.74 goals-against-average, and a .895 save percentage. He also earned three shutouts and became just the fourth Oil Kings netminder to earn back-to-back shutouts back on February 27 and 28. His 21 wins also tied Sebastian Cossa for the most wins in a single season by a rookie netminder for the Oil Kings. Snell continued his stellar play into the playoffs where he was 2-1-1 with a 2.22 goals-against-average, and a .924 save percentage.

The 2026 NHL Entry Draft goes on June 26 and 27 in Buffalo, NY, U.S.A.

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Western Hockey League Stories from April 16, 2026


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