Oilers select 5th rd (#131) - Asher Barnett [message #847044] |
Sat, 28 June 2025 13:22  |
NetBOG Messages: 3048
Registered: January 2006
Location: Parts Unknown
3 Cups
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Date of Birth - May 16, 2007
Age - 18
Place of Birth - Wilmette, IL, USA
Nation - USA
Position - D
Height - 184 cm / 6'0"
Weight - 91 kg / 201 lbs
Shoots - L
2023-24
U.S. National U17 Team NTDP 54 4 14 18 34 -
USNTDP Juniors USHL 35 0 6 6 20 -20
USA U17 WHC-17 7 0 2 2 10 -
2024-25
U.S. National U18 Team NTDP 58 8 14 22 24 8
USNTDP Juniors USHL 21 3 3 6 8 8
USA U18 "C" WJC-18 7 2 4 6 0 7
2026-27
Univ. of Michigan NCAA - - - - - -
Rankings
Ranked #160 by MCKEEN'S HOCKEY
Ranked #96 by NHL CENTRAL SCOUTING (NA Skaters)
Ranked #114 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
Ranked #159 by RECRUIT SCOUTI
Edmonton traded their own 5th pick in 2026 for this pick
[Updated on: Sat, 28 June 2025 13:31]
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Skookum Jim Messages: 5268
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
5 Cups
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Blah... he ain't no Mike Kesselring
Still one of the stupidest blunders Oilers have ever made.. trade him PLUS a 3rd for a Bugstad rental .. dumb.. dumb..
Kesselring is now a 6'-5 RHD playing top 4 minutes.. fights.. who can SKATE.. whoever was involved with that trade should be gone.. and most are.. Holland, Manson, Woodcroft .. all thought Desharnais was the guy to keep over Kesselring.. I saw Kesselring play a few times.. head and shoulders best defenseman on the team.. even I knew he was gold.
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Asher Barnett
2024-25 Team: USA U18 (NTDP)
Date of Birth: May 16, 2007
Place of Birth: Wilmette, IL, USA
Ht: 6-feet Wt: 196 pounds
Shoots: L
Position: D
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2025 first-year eligible
Rankings
NHL Central Scouting: 96th (among NA skaters)
Peter Baracchini’s Final Rankings: 120th
The National Development Team didn’t have any high-end upside defenders, though, they have plenty of defenders that can still impact the game positively. Asher Barnett was one of those defenders who surprised and flew under the radar this season. He had 11 goals and 28 points combined with the NTDP program and in the USHL, but it’s his two-way defensive minded presence, that stands out.
Barnett’s a leader on the ice and his play exemplifies that as he does the little things in order to succeed. His work ethic is evident, as he never gives up on plays and has great attention to detail on both sides of the puck.
Defensively, Barnett shows great vision and anticipation in his own end. He’s quick on retrieving pucks and has clean breakouts on zone exits. He has good positioning in front of the net and is always pressuring in one-on-one coverage. He excels defending the rush very well with strong gap control and is never giving up the middle of the ice easily. He has an active stick and does a great job of getting into shooting lanes to cut off an opportunity.
He has average height, but under 200 pounds, he shows great strength with his puck protection skills. While he could look to use that to his advantage to play with more of an edge, he can be physical when he needs to at the right moment, not putting himself in a bad spot to get caught.
Barnett’s offensive upside may be limited at the next level, but there are a lot of things that he does well with his offensive game. He sees the ice well to find the open lanes, walk in and get a quality shot off. Either on net or for good placement for a second-chance opportunity or deflection. His head is always up to spot teammates with crisp, cross-ice passes and even on the breakouts, he’s quick and accurate. He has good mobility and speed in the neutral zone to lead a rush and carry a play forward.
He was productive for USA at the U18 Championship with six points in seven games. If he can elevate his offense from the blueline a little more, then he can be even more effective as a two-way defender.
NHL Draft Projection
Barnett is a name that gained some traction thanks to his play at the U18 Championship. Although, there were no dynamic players on the U18 Team on the blueline, he was one of the better standouts. He could easily find himself as a fourth-round selection come June.
Quotables
“He’s as well-rounded as they come, controlling from slot-to-slot with a strong understanding of how to defend inside-out and not cede too much ground to opponents. He’s not very physical, but makes up for it with strong stick-checking and fundamentals.” – Gabe Foley, Recruit Scouting
“He’s the kind of player you trust to start in the defensive zone and close out games. With a strong base, high-end battle habits, and elite defensive stick detail, Barnett projects as a dependable bottom-pairing NHL defenseman who can log tough minutes and kill penalties.” – Neutral Zone
Strengths
Strong attention to detail
Great defensive game
Transitional game on both sides of the puck
Good offensive tendencies and reads
Skating and mobility
Under Construction- Improvements to Make
Limited offensive upside
Could use strength more to be physical
Be more composed with the puck in tight situations
NHL Potential
Barnett has great intangibles as a leader on the ice. He’s competitive, driven and excels within his own end. He’s a defensive-minded presence with a foundation for a steady two-way game. He can be a strong depth option on a bottom pairing while still providing strong play at five-on-five and on the penalty kill.
Risk- Reward Analysis
Risk- 1.5/5, Reward 3/5
Awards/ Achievements
Barnett captained Team USA to a bronze medal at the World U18 Championship.
Interviews/Links
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvjK36EA2TU
Draft: https://youtu.be/8GmKbtJncek
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[Updated on: Sat, 28 June 2025 14:05]
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!! (Thank you Lord!)
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
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Skookum Jim Messages: 5268
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
5 Cups
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Just realized that the Oilers swapped their 5th in 2026 for Nashville's 5th in 2025 to acquire Barnett.. so they must like him a bunch..
also, why would Nashville do that with no compensation? Did I miss something?
Quote: | The Edmonton Oilers acquired a 2025 5th round pick (#131) from the Nashville Predators for a 2026 5th round pick
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McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!! (Thank you Lord!)
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
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mad90 Messages: 18
Registered: July 2007
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
No Cups
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Skookum Jim wrote on Sat, 28 June 2025 14:40 | Just realized that the Oilers swapped their 5th in 2026 for Nashville's 5th in 2025 to acquire Barnett.. so they must like him a bunch..
also, why would Nashville do that with no compensation? Did I miss something?
Quote: | The Edmonton Oilers acquired a 2025 5th round pick (#131) from the Nashville Predators for a 2026 5th round pick
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Maybe Nashville thinks the Oilers pick next year will be higher lol
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Skookum Jim Messages: 5268
Registered: March 2006
Location: Burnaby, BC
5 Cups
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mad90 wrote on Sat, 28 June 2025 16:37 |
Skookum Jim wrote on Sat, 28 June 2025 14:40 | Just realized that the Oilers swapped their 5th in 2026 for Nashville's 5th in 2025 to acquire Barnett.. so they must like him a bunch..
also, why would Nashville do that with no compensation? Did I miss something?
Quote: | The Edmonton Oilers acquired a 2025 5th round pick (#131) from the Nashville Predators for a 2026 5th round pick
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Maybe Nashville thinks the Oilers pick next year will be higher lol
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There's gotta be something there.. teams just don't just take th eprobability of a lower pick without a return.. a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.. (credit to Winston C.)
McDAVID! Oh YEAH Baby!! (Thank you Lord!)
Tic-Tac-Tao!
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
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