It may be now or never for prospect Cooper Marody with the Edmonton Oilers

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2021 Edmonton Oilers prospects

#15 Cooper Marody

Previously: #11 in June 2020, #18 in December 2020

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At 24 years old, it’s time for the Edmonton Oilers to figure out whether Cooper Marody is “prospect” or “suspect”.

It is a critical juncture in the career of the pending RFA. And since Marody is not waiver-exempt, it is doubly so. He was tendered a qualifying offer from the club after carrying a cap hit of $925k the previous 3 seasons. As this prospect preview went to press, Marody had not yet signed. I wonder if player and club will follow a path similar to the one trod along with Tyler Benson: A league-minimum, 1-year deal. That would make Marody easier to fit under the cap for any club, be it the Oilers or other team that may claim him. And there’s reason to think there could be some interest.

Marody enters Edmonton Oilers training camp this Fall having enjoyed what was arguably his most productive professional season over this past year. He posted 21-15-36 in 39 AHL games played for Bakersfield in 2020-21. That performance was comparable to his impressive output in 2018-19 in terms of points-per-game. But he did find the net more frequently this past campaign than he ever had before, which was certainly encouraging for both him and the club.

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I’m not sure you can class that a “breakout” season when the player in question is 24 years old. But it was certainly a “bounce-back” performance after an injury-pocked 2019-20, including some after-affects from a nasty concussion. For a while, it looked like injuries might derail him permanently. But Marody deserves credit for battling through all that and returning to form. As a prospect, however, it did cost him precious development time.

Marody was picked in the 6^th Round of the 2015 draft (PHI). So, pedigree is not a check mark on his side. Marody posted a very strong senior year at The University of Michigan (16-35-51 in just 40 GP in 2017-18) before turning pro. He was acquired in a trade with the Flyers in exchange for a draft pick the Oilers got in a separate deal that moved out Pat Maroon. Save for a half-dozen games in Edmonton he has been in Edmonton ever since.

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So, who is this guy anyway?

The eyes say Cooper Marody is a talented play-maker more than a dangerous, pure scorer. He has good vision and anticipation in the offensive zone. He has also consistently demonstrated a solid defensive understanding and a responsible approach to the game at both ends of the ice. While Marody is certainly no bruiser he isn’t undersized at 6’0 1984 LBS, either. And those close to the organization praise him as an excellent teammate who puts in the work. Yes, there is a fair bit to like.

But it is fair to say that the key aspect keeping Cooper Marody out of all but a half-dozen NHL games in his career to date is his speed or lack thereof. It was the knock against him right from the time he was drafted. And while he deserves some credit for upgrading his average wheels over his career to-date, he is still not what you would consider a plus-skater at an NHL level. He might not even be average. And that’s a problem.

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As a Center, Marody’s right-handedness would be a plus. But one wonders if he can be a Center at the NHL level. That’s very much in question, with speed and size both being the main issues. Yet the parent club also has a list of good Right Wingers ahead of him on the depth chart: Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, Zack Kassian and Josh Archibald. Zach Hyman, a Left Wing, also shoots right. There’s not much room at the inn.

And it promises to get even more crowded…

Marody’s extended path of development is somewhat of a double-edged sword. On one hand, he has persisted through several physical challenges in order to give himself a shot at an NHL job. That’s all admirable. But all the time elapsed while doing so has subsequently allowed other, younger prospects such as Dylan Holloway, Ryan McLeod and others to come on board and push their elder teammate hard.

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For all those reasons and a few more, my prospect score for Marody out of the 4 panelists at The Cult of Hockey and Edmonton Journal who assessed him for this series was tied for the lowest of the bunch. For the sake if the club and the player, I hope I’m wrong.

But in the end, here’s the critical question: Is Cooper Marody NHL material or is he just “a really good AHL player”?

There is no shame in the latter. But it is a label that has kept many an otherwise talented player out of the show.

Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins

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