Is Oilers' Prospect Shane Lachance the Next Tage Thompson? – Hockey Writers – Oilers Prospects

The Edmonton Oilers took a chance on Shane Lachance in the 2021 NHL Draft, selecting him 186th overall in the sixth round.

Now three years later, the Oilers' decision to draft Lachance appears to have been incredibly smart. Since being drafted by Edmonton, the Andover, Massachusetts native has become a dominant and consistent force at every level of hockey he has played. A former standout in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and now a key member of the perennial powerhouse Boston University Terriers, his track record and strength are like his frame – enormous. Standing at 6-foot-5 and tipping the scales at 220 pounds, the 21-year-old is an intimidating force on the ice whose combination of size and skill combine to make him an attractive option for the Oilers.

Related: Top 5 prospects for the Edmonton Oilers

Similar in size, skill, and power to Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres, Lachance is skating and thriving at the NCAA level at a young age. He was chosen as the captain of Boston University before his sophomore season, there is no doubt that his future in the game is incredibly bright.

Game Giant

Despite his late selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, Lachance has spent little time proving his doubters wrong. The year after being drafted by the Oilers, he moved to the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL where he made an immediate impact. In his rookie campaign with the team, he scored a respectable 23 points in 55 games played. Then, the following season, he was named captain of the Phantoms in his second campaign with the team. He went on to score an incredible 33 goals and 54 points in the regular season, before adding another six points in the playoffs en route to capturing the Clark Cup. After taking an important step in his development to become a complete force on the ice, he packed his bags and set his sights on Boston University for the 2023-24 season.

In his freshman campaign in the NCAA, Lachance rose quickly through his team's lineup and wasted little time in solidifying his position on the team's starting lineup. With a hard shot, quick hands and impressive vision, there was no doubt that his size and skill would make him a good matchup for the team's best player, Macklin Celebrini. Together, Celebrini and Lachance played well against each other, as the latter forced turnovers and protected the puck, while the upcoming first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft often put the puck behind the net. By the end of the season, he had amassed 13 goals and 27 points in 40 games with the Terriers – good results for a first-year player. Before his sophomore season with Boston University, Lachance repeated what he accomplished two years ago and a first in team history, as he was surprisingly named the Terriers' captain before his sophomore campaign.

MIH: BU GOAL – Quinn Hutson finds Shane Lachance for the first goal of the game. IBU leads Union, 1-0.#GoBU pic.twitter.com/480BxiSMGB

— BU Game Day (@BUGameDay) October 12, 2024

As his first season in the USHL after being named team captain, Lachance began his first campaign as captain of Boston University in tears. In his first seven games of the 2024-25 season, he has scored two goals and recorded five assists while taking just one minor penalty. In his second NCAA season, Thompson was again a point-per-game player before moving on to the American Hockey League, and that will appear to be the path Lachance follows. With such impressive size, skill, and maturity, moving up to the professional level at the end of the current season may be the best option for the youngster in his prime, and it will give the Oilers an unexpected but pleasant surprise as they are aiming for. to strengthen their wardrobe for the future.

Jumping at Lachance

If Lachance expresses interest in forgoing the remainder of his NCAA career to succeed at the professional level, it's a decision the Oilers shouldn't hesitate to make. Well known for their weak prospect pool, signing Lachance would give the team another promising young player to develop as they look to remain a constant threat for years to come. While, like Thompson, success may not come to him quickly, his ability to consistently improve while remaining a formidable leader has proven time and time again to push him through any adversity he faces. If he can enjoy a consistent season on both ends of the ice for Boston University as one of the team's top players, there will be more than a few NHL franchises regretting choosing to ignore him in the 2021 NHL Draft.

The future is incredibly bright for Lachance, whose father Scott skated in more than 800 NHL games. Not only is he hard to miss on the ice given his stature, but his incredible puck play alone makes him a Thompson-like prospect and, as such, one to follow closely.