On Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers traded their 2026 fifth-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 131st overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

They then used it to select <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-trade-2026-pick-nashville-predators-select-asher-barnett-131st-choice-2025-nhl-draft">Asher Barnett</a>, a left-shot defenceman who scored three goals and six points in 21 games with the U.S. National Development Team. It was the first time in franchise history the Oilers selected with the 131st overall pick, and time will tell how Barnett develops.
With that said, there have been a few notable players selected 131st overall who’ve played for the Oilers, including three who were with the organization in 2024-25. In this article, we’ll look at the history of the 131st overall pick.
<h2>A history of the 131st overall pick</h2>
On Jan. 15, 2014, the Oilers drafted netminder and our very own <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/ask-dubey-who-has-the-most-deceptive-shot-nhl-rant-about-referees">Devan Dubnyk</a> to the Nashville Predators for Matt Hendricks. Out of any players selected 131st overall, Hendricks played the second-most games, scoring 54 goals and 116 points, second and third in each category. In four seasons with the Oilers, he scored 20 goals and 38 points in 214 games, making up a fun fourth line named the “Wagon Line” with a rotating cast of Boyd Gordon, Rob Klinkhammer, and Jesse Joensuu. The Decade of Darkness was something.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-39280" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/usatsi_9932559_168383996_lowres.jpg" alt="" width="1084" height="833" />
The most notable 131st overall selection happens to be an instrumental player in the Oilers&#8217; Stanley Cup Final run this past season, John Klingberg. In his career, Klingberg has 82 goals and 416 points in 644 games, leading in all three categories. In the postseason, he has nine goals and 43 points in 82 games. Please re-sign him.
Last season, the Oilers had two players play with the American Hockey League team, the Bakersfield Condors. Seth Griffith has played 80 NHL games, one with the Oilers, scoring eight goals and 19 points, most of which came in 2014-15 with the Bruins. Last season with the Condors, he scored 21 goals and 72 points in 65 games.
The other 2024-25 Bakersfield Condor is Rhett Pitlick, who was selected 131st overall by the Montréal Canadiens in 2019, but ended up signing with the Condors after the college season ended. He picked up six assists in six games and re-signed with the Condors alongside his brother Rem Pitlick. All the Condors need is Tyler Pitlick, a former Oiler and a cousin to Rem and Rhett.
There were a few players drafted in the late-70s and early-80s who played with the franchise, but saw limited action in the National Hockey League (or World Hockey Association). The New York Rangers selected Lance Nethery 131st overall in the 1977 draft, with the forward playing just 41 NHL games with 11 goals and 14 points. Three of those games were spent with the Oilers in 1981-82, the last three games he played in the NHL.
Four drafts after Nethery, the Washington Capitals selected Risto Jalo 131st overall in the 1981 draft. He only played three games in North America, picking up three assists with the 1985-86 Oilers before playing the rest of his career in Europe.
Another one of those players, Steve Carlson, played just 52 games in the NHL with the 1979-80 Los Angeles Kings, scoring nine goals and 21 points before finishing his career in the minors. The season before that, he played with the Oilers in the WHA, scoring 18 goals and 40 points in 73 games. The Oilers lost the Avco Cup to the Winnipeg Jets that season, a team that included 1974’s 131st overall pick, Roland Eriksson.
Eriksson was productive in his three-season NHL career, scoring 48 goals and 143 points in 193 games before playing the 1978-79 season with the Jets and then the rest of his career in Europe. Despite his short tenure in the NHL, Eriksson finished with the second-most points for players selected 131st.
Speaking of champions, Mike Hartman was selected in the 1986 draft and played 397 NHL games, scoring 43 goals and 78 points, the fourth-most goals and the fifth-most points. He won the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1993-94.
The only other player selected 131st overall to have won the Stanley Cup was Jiří Bicek, who was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 1997 draft. Prior to the 2002-03 season, Bicek played just six NHL games, but got into 44 games with the Devils, where he scored five goals and 11 points. They went on to win the Cup later that season.
Bruce Gardiner was selected in the 1991 draft by the St. Louis Blues, and he went on to play 312 games with 34 goals and 88 points, the latter being the fifth-most of any player selected 131st overall. The only other player with more than 100 games played selected 131st overall was Tomáš Klouček, as he played 141 games, scoring two goals and 10 points.
Well, that’s not true, as Nick Seeler was selected 131st overall in the 2011 draft by the Minnesota Wild, and has gone to play 373 games with 11 goals and 62 points. He was one of three players selected 131st overall to play in the NHL last season, as Spencer Stastney (2018) played 23 games with the Nashville Predators in 2024-25. Overall, he has two goals and nine points in 51 games. 
Jacob Melanson (2021) played a game with the Seattle Kraken, but mainly played with their American Hockey League team. Other active players (including Barnett) are Colton Roberts (2024), Marcel Marcel (elite name, 2023), Matthew Morden (2022), Matteo Costantini (2020), Cole Fraser (2017), Adam Werner (2016), Matt Bradley (2015), Cole Ully (2013), and Martin Látal (2006).
Here are the players who played at least one NHL game: Daniel Poudrier (1982), Peter Folco (1973), Steve Stone (1972), Mike Vellucci (1984), Tomáš Pöpperle (2005), and Mike Rosati (1988).
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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

On Saturday, the Edmonton Oilers traded their 2026 fifth-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes for the 131st overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.



They then used it to select <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-trade-2026-pick-nashville-predators-select-asher-barnett-131st-choice-2025-nhl-draft">Asher Barnett</a>, a left-shot defenceman who scored three goals and six points in 21 games with the U.S. National Development Team. It was the first time in franchise history the Oilers selected with the 131st overall pick, and time will tell how Barnett develops.

With that said, there have been a few notable players selected 131st overall who’ve played for the Oilers, including three who were with the organization in 2024-25. In this article, we’ll look at the history of the 131st overall pick.
<h2>A history of the 131st overall pick</h2>
On Jan. 15, 2014, the Oilers drafted netminder and our very own <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/ask-dubey-who-has-the-most-deceptive-shot-nhl-rant-about-referees">Devan Dubnyk</a> to the Nashville Predators for Matt Hendricks. Out of any players selected 131st overall, Hendricks played the second-most games, scoring 54 goals and 116 points, second and third in each category. In four seasons with the Oilers, he scored 20 goals and 38 points in 214 games, making up a fun fourth line named the “Wagon Line” with a rotating cast of Boyd Gordon, Rob Klinkhammer, and Jesse Joensuu. The Decade of Darkness was something.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-39280" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/usatsi_9932559_168383996_lowres.jpg" alt="" width="1084" height="833" />

The most notable 131st overall selection happens to be an instrumental player in the Oilers' Stanley Cup Final run this past season, John Klingberg. In his career, Klingberg has 82 goals and 416 points in 644 games, leading in all three categories. In the postseason, he has nine goals and 43 points in 82 games. Please re-sign him.

Last season, the Oilers had two players play with the American Hockey League team, the Bakersfield Condors. Seth Griffith has played 80 NHL games, one with the Oilers, scoring eight goals and 19 points, most of which came in 2014-15 with the Bruins. Last season with the Condors, he scored 21 goals and 72 points in 65 games.

The other 2024-25 Bakersfield Condor is Rhett Pitlick, who was selected 131st overall by the Montréal Canadiens in 2019, but ended up signing with the Condors after the college season ended. He picked up six assists in six games and re-signed with the Condors alongside his brother Rem Pitlick. All the Condors need is Tyler Pitlick, a former Oiler and a cousin to Rem and Rhett.

There were a few players drafted in the late-70s and early-80s who played with the franchise, but saw limited action in the National Hockey League (or World Hockey Association). The New York Rangers selected Lance Nethery 131st overall in the 1977 draft, with the forward playing just 41 NHL games with 11 goals and 14 points. Three of those games were spent with the Oilers in 1981-82, the last three games he played in the NHL.

Four drafts after Nethery, the Washington Capitals selected Risto Jalo 131st overall in the 1981 draft. He only played three games in North America, picking up three assists with the 1985-86 Oilers before playing the rest of his career in Europe.

Another one of those players, Steve Carlson, played just 52 games in the NHL with the 1979-80 Los Angeles Kings, scoring nine goals and 21 points before finishing his career in the minors. The season before that, he played with the Oilers in the WHA, scoring 18 goals and 40 points in 73 games. The Oilers lost the Avco Cup to the Winnipeg Jets that season, a team that included 1974’s 131st overall pick, Roland Eriksson.

Eriksson was productive in his three-season NHL career, scoring 48 goals and 143 points in 193 games before playing the 1978-79 season with the Jets and then the rest of his career in Europe. Despite his short tenure in the NHL, Eriksson finished with the second-most points for players selected 131st.

Speaking of champions, Mike Hartman was selected in the 1986 draft and played 397 NHL games, scoring 43 goals and 78 points, the fourth-most goals and the fifth-most points. He won the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1993-94.

The only other player selected 131st overall to have won the Stanley Cup was Jiří Bicek, who was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 1997 draft. Prior to the 2002-03 season, Bicek played just six NHL games, but got into 44 games with the Devils, where he scored five goals and 11 points. They went on to win the Cup later that season.

Bruce Gardiner was selected in the 1991 draft by the St. Louis Blues, and he went on to play 312 games with 34 goals and 88 points, the latter being the fifth-most of any player selected 131st overall. The only other player with more than 100 games played selected 131st overall was Tomáš Klouček, as he played 141 games, scoring two goals and 10 points.

Well, that’s not true, as Nick Seeler was selected 131st overall in the 2011 draft by the Minnesota Wild, and has gone to play 373 games with 11 goals and 62 points. He was one of three players selected 131st overall to play in the NHL last season, as Spencer Stastney (2018) played 23 games with the Nashville Predators in 2024-25. Overall, he has two goals and nine points in 51 games. 

Jacob Melanson (2021) played a game with the Seattle Kraken, but mainly played with their American Hockey League team. Other active players (including Barnett) are Colton Roberts (2024), Marcel Marcel (elite name, 2023), Matthew Morden (2022), Matteo Costantini (2020), Cole Fraser (2017), Adam Werner (2016), Matt Bradley (2015), Cole Ully (2013), and Martin Látal (2006).

Here are the players who played at least one NHL game: Daniel Poudrier (1982), Peter Folco (1973), Steve Stone (1972), Mike Vellucci (1984), Tomáš Pöpperle (2005), and Mike Rosati (1988).

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

A history of the 131st overall pick in the NHL Draft

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