Connor Clattenburg shared a draft experience with Kris Knoblauch’s Oilers that seems almost unbelievable.
Clattenburg mentioned he had already signed up for another team’s development camp because he thought Edmonton wouldn’t choose him. He was on his way to that camp when the Oilers picked him.
This is the kind of story players can laugh about many years later. It also shows how Clattenburg felt about himself when the 2024 draft happened.
Edmonton selected him in the 5th round, making him the 160th pick overall. At that time, he wasn’t seen as a big headline choice or a guaranteed success.
Now that he has already played in the NHL, the story feels different. This season, he has played 5 games for Edmonton and scored 1 goal.
That doesn’t mean he’s the finished product. However, it makes the unexpected draft situation feel more important, rather than just a funny anecdote.
He is still working hard to move up in his career. Clattenburg has played 22 games in the AHL with Bakersfield, scoring 2 goals and getting 1 assist.
Clattenburg turned an unlikely chance into real progress.
“I actually had committed to going to a development camp of another team, because I didn’t think I was getting drafted. I was actually driving to their camp the day the Oilers drafted me (laughs),” Connor Clattenburg on being drafted in the 5th round in 2024. @sports1440
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) March 23, 2026
That’s why Oilers fans will enjoy this story. It’s not just interesting; it’s about a player who didn’t see the pick coming but still managed to make a name for himself.
He also has some toughness in his playing style. Clattenburg accumulated 13 penalty minutes in his 5 NHL games, which suits the role of a winger who wants to make an impression every time he plays.
His salary shows where Edmonton thinks he fits in their lineup.
For the 2025-26 season, he has a salary of 2,565,000, keeping him in the conversation of young players with good value.
The main idea here is what this tells us about the Oilers’ choices during the draft.
Picks made in the later rounds are usually just random tries, and most of them don’t become useful players right away.
Clattenburg was actually headed to another training camp when Edmonton switched his schedule.
Now he is more than just a funny story from the draft.
For a team that still needs to build up its roster, this is important.
Connor Clattenburg has already changed one surprise phone call into a real story for the Oilers.
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