Tyler Pitlick - #13 In the Oilers Top 25 Under 25
by Derek Zona on Jul 23, 2011 11:55 AM MDT
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Tyler Pitlick left Minnesota State-Mankato in the summer of 2010 and joined the Medicine Hat Tigers. Pitlick was supposed to settle into the WHL, score some goals, work on his play-making and tune up his offensive game. He would use a season of offensive dominance in a league full of weaker competition to springboard into the AHL and a regular spot in the Barons' lineup.
Sometimes the plan never comes together. Pitlick's transition to the WHL wasn't as smooth as hoped - he struggled with the number of games per week and had some tired legs early in the season. He was suspended for three games after kneeing Prince Albert defenseman Nathan Deck in late October. Just when he put everything together, Pitlick broke his ankle in early March, causing him to miss the end of the season and the WHL playoffs. The ankle continues to bother Pitlick - it's prevented him from skating regularly and forced him to sit through the majority of development camp. Being a top prospect involves talent, hard work, skill, determination, and a whole lot of luck, something Pitlick didn't have in 2010-11.
After spending a year as a top ten fixture in these rankings, it's easy to see why Pitlick fell six spots to 13th overall. A tough year would concern even the biggest optimist -- Jonathan buried Pitlick in 18th after ranking him 6th and 8th in the previous two installments. I remain optimistic. I've always rated Pitlick the highest amongst the group (5-7-8), though Jaysen is close behind. Ben asked for more from Pitlick and he wasn't able to deliver
Perhaps it's Pitlick's bad luck that he's playing for such a good team. Pitlick runs a mere third in scoring among the Tigers, well back of are-you-kidding-me 19-year-old Linden Vey (who?) and undrafted overager Wacey Hamilton. Pitlick's not in terrible company - he's four points ahead of first-rounder Emerson Etem, for one - but he's a long way from being the alpha dog. More shockingly, Pitlick is a mere +3 compared to Vey's +27, Etem's +25, and Hamilton's +10. Pitlick has the worst plus/minus among the team's regular skill forwards, an appalling statistic for a guy who we're told is responsible and has his head glued on straight.
...
It would set my mind at ease if he tore up the Western league a bit, though.
He didn't tear up the Western League. His NHLE of 11-15-26 lags behind fellow second-round draftees Anton Lander and Curtis Hamilton. But Pitlick scored more G/G compared to Hamilton which is a positive, and it's likely that Pitlick would've made up the gap in assists had he played for Hamilton's Saskatoon Blades, the highest scoring team in the WHL. Pitlick was the 3rd leading scorer by P/G for the Tigers, behind Linden Vey and Anaheim first-round pick Emerson Etem. However, it's still not the explosion many fans were looking for. Ben talked about the concern in Pitlick's +/-; Vey ended the season as a +37 and Etem a +41. Pitlick ended the year as a +4, behind draft-eligible agitator Kale Kessy.
Why do I remain optimistic? Even though his offense was a disappointment, he's still scoring goals at a similar pace to Lander, Hamilton and Martindale. Better team offense from Medicine Hat probably pushes Pitlick's NHLE above 30, similar to Hamilton. He played the season at right wing, a new position for him. His transition wasn't easy - he was playing a new position with a new team in a a new league and still scored goals. He's a big kid, and his physical play wowed Oilers' fans who watched the Penticton rookie tournament last summer. He's got a heavy shot and a quick release. He's also a right-handed center. Though he hasn't played center since high school, he's got a short path ti the Oilers roster if he can move back to pivot. In short, all of the underlying tools and talent remain in spite of two tough transitional seasons.
Lastly, his ankle injury might be a blessing in disguise. Though the Oilers signed him to an entry-level contract, his inability to skate for five months makes it less likely that he'll join the Barons in October. Another season in the WHL, especially at center might just be that "Jordan Eberle" season he needs to break into the professional game.
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This puts Pitlick where I always thought he should be; considered a good prospect, but behind the NHL players that are only going to (hopefully) get better (Eberle, Hall, Paajarvi, Gagner, Paajarvi, Omark), the prospects that are tracking really well (Petry, Marincin, Hamilton, Hartikainen) and the players that are drafted with much better pedigee (Nugent-Hopkins, Klefbom). I think, by the way, that’s the remaining top twelve.
I’m really rooting for the Paajarvi twins.
Writer for The Cult of Hockey, The Copper & Blue, and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
"Never be ashamed of who you are" -- Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg
by Bruce McCurdy on Jul 23, 2011 8:22 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Two Paajarvi’s would be enough Finnish.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 23, 2011 8:33 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Lastly, his ankle injury might be a blessing in disguise. Though the Oilers signed him to an entry-level contract, his inability to skate for five months makes it less likely that he’ll join the Barons in October. Another season in the WHL, especially at center might just be that “Jordan Eberle” season he needs to break into the professional game.
Just guessing, but I’d be surprised if EDM demoted him back to the WHL since he’s not slide rule eligible as far as I know.
by hockeysymposium on Jul 23, 2011 12:51 PM MDT reply actions
Yeah, the contract makes it seem like they have him slated for the AHL, but if during camp it’s clear that it makes more sense for Pitlick to go back to the CHL, I would think the organization wouldn’t be too worried about him “losing” a year on the ELC. They probably shouldn’t have signed him when they did, but they’ll get more out of that contract by putting him where he’s able to best develop.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jul 23, 2011 9:07 PM MDT up reply actions
It’s too much of a pain in the ass to go back through my Twitter feed to New Year’s Day, when I saw him play against the Hitmen in MH, but my recollection was that he had a solid first two periods, especially away from the puck, before disappearing in the third as the Hitmen made the come-from-behind win. One game sample and all, but there you go.
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Too bad it wasn’t the WJC – that one game sample could be the gold standard for the kid’s future.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
That’d be a real shame. He’d forever be a guy who couldn’t get it done in clutch situations.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
Robertson's Rants - Exceedingly occasional, lengthy ramblings on hockey topics, hosted at Puck Podcast. And no, my name's not Doug.
Pitlick should be traded.
The point of a good hockey GM is to identify the talent that looks great a couple years after the Draft but is not going to make it. I am not a hockey anything, but I would be betting this is the colt in the Oilers’ stable that doesn’t make it to evening a ‘show’ finish at the big racetrack.
I would be looking to move Pitlick for immediate help: not just cause I think Pitlick is a waste of a contract space, but also cause we need help now at every position outside forward. What could Pitlick & this years second round pick get you? A top four defenseman? Add one of the 3rd rounders we have this years too.
one of the founders and most prolific writers of Bringing Back the Glory
There is a lack or right-handed centers in the organization. He’s worth an ELC for that alone.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Pitlick is worth an ELC not because of his position or handed-ness, but because he is an asset worth protecting (in order so that we can cash in that asset). He is a decent prospect, so he deserves a contract. It is just that the Oilers have too many contracts right now and not enough NHL defensemen or ’tenders.
I am concerned that he is not a mythical tough right-handed centre. 1) he has admitted to not playing centre in the Hat as opposed to playing RW; 2) as you, Derek, point out in your article he neither blossomed offensively this year, nor demonstrated his defensive supposed chops. I question whether Pitlick is a centre and whether he is going to make the show for more then a cup of coffee.
We all know not all these prospects are going to make it to the NHL. Mr. Dithers is still evaluating but soon he is going to have to make some decisions on these young forwards. The reason he needs to make decisions on a couple of these players now is that the Oilers need some improvement. We have a strengthen at forward (especially at wing—which is where I project Pitlick) and we should use this strengthen to bolster one of the areas of weakness.
one of the founders and most prolific writers of Bringing Back the Glory
This kind of thing always depends on the return available. If there’s something great on the table, obviously you move him, but I don’t think there needs to be any urgency to move Pitlick now.
The biggest fanana of the Havana Bananas.
by Scott Reynolds on Jul 23, 2011 8:52 PM MDT up reply actions
In the games I saw, Pitlick never played with Vey at all except on the powerplay. He picked up a few points but no plusses there. Etem was the one who got the primo minutes playing with the scoring champ.
Interesting to look at Pitlick’s performance by month. Discounting the single game he played in each of Sept and March:
Month ….. GP …… Pts
Oct ……….. 8 ……. 10
Nov ……… 13 …… 13
Dec ……… 11 …… 13
Jan ………. 11 …… 14
Feb ………. 11 …… 12
… which is either super consistent or shows no improvement, depending on which half of your glass you tend to notice first.
Writer for The Cult of Hockey, The Copper & Blue, and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
"Never be ashamed of who you are" -- Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg
Yeah, that’s the other thing I neglected to note: he was on the 2 line. If my single-game sample is any indication, that 1 line was so much better than everyone else, if he’d played there, he might have had half again as many points.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
Robertson's Rants - Exceedingly occasional, lengthy ramblings on hockey topics, hosted at Puck Podcast. And no, my name's not Doug.
Plus/minus of Medicine Hat players with 30+ points
Linden Vey: +37
Emerson Etem: +41
Wacey Hamilton: +16
Tyler Pitlick: +4
Hunter Shinkaruk: +13
Thomas Carr: +23
Ryan Harrison: +10
Now, maybe he was playing tough minutes (which seems unlikely), and maybe he got hammered by the percentages (possible), and we probably ought to cut him some slack since it was his first WHL season, but that probably isn’t meaningless.
And given that Pitlick needs a well-rounded game to make the show (his offensive numbers have never really been shiny enough otherwise) it’s a concern.
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by Jonathan Willis on Jul 23, 2011 9:30 PM MDT reply actions
Vey and Etem were linemates pretty much all year. Carr is a defender. The rest range from +4 to +16, a non-zero difference, but not a gigantic one either. Some of them would have played parttime with the big two, likely not Pitlick much.
Writer for The Cult of Hockey, The Copper & Blue, and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
"Never be ashamed of who you are" -- Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg
by Bruce McCurdy on Jul 23, 2011 10:06 PM MDT up reply actions
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