Luca Munzenberger Becomes the Latest Edmonton Oilers Draft Bust From the Disappointing and Controversial Ken Holland Era, Per Analysts

The Edmonton Oilers’ pipeline of draft talent has long been a topic of heated discussion, but few eras have drawn as much scrutiny as the Ken Holland years — and once again, that scrutiny is justified. Recent developments surrounding defenseman Luca Munzenberger have only reinforced the narrative that Holland’s drafting strategy failed to deliver meaningful depth or long-term assets, especially beyond the first round. For Oilers fans and hockey insiders alike, Munzenberger’s stagnating progress now serves as yet another glaring symbol of the missteps that defined Holland’s draft record.

Selected 90th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Munzenberger was one of those picks that immediately raised eyebrows across the hockey world. At the time, many scouts and analysts had him projected as a late-round selection, if at all. His resume — a raw German defenseman with size but limited exposure in elite North American leagues — hardly screamed “third-round priority.” But the Oilers brass under Holland clearly saw something others did not, opting to make what they believed was a value pick rooted in potential.

Fast forward to 2025, and the results speak for themselves — and they’re not flattering.

Munzenberger has struggled to make an impact at the NCAA level with the University of Vermont, a program that, while competitive, isn’t exactly a perennial powerhouse producing NHL-ready talent every year. Across multiple seasons with the Catamounts, Munzenberger’s development trajectory has been alarmingly flat. His defensive game remains riddled with inconsistencies, his puck-moving ability has failed to evolve to pro-ready standards, and concerns about his hockey IQ and decision-making persist.

What’s worse, he hasn’t even cracked the depth discussions for the Oilers’ AHL affiliate, let alone pushed for a spot on the NHL roster. For a third-round selection in today’s NHL, especially for a team like Edmonton starved for affordable, homegrown defensive help, that represents a major failure of talent evaluation and organizational planning.

And Munzenberger isn’t an isolated case.

His struggles add to an unfortunate pattern of questionable drafting that has marred Holland’s tenure. While Holland did inherit certain limitations and cap constraints, his inability to unearth diamonds in the rough through the draft only compounded Edmonton’s challenges in building sustainable depth around their generational superstars — Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Consider this: since 2019, when Holland took over as General Manager, the Oilers have made a series of underwhelming picks outside of the first round. Time and time again, selections meant to strengthen the pipeline or address positional needs have either failed to develop, stagnated at lower levels, or, in some cases, completely flamed out of relevance.

Munzenberger, despite his physical attributes — standing at 6-foot-2 and possessing decent mobility for his size — hasn’t demonstrated the type of upside necessary to justify his draft slot. His defensive reads remain a work in progress, and the offensive element to his game is nearly non-existent. In short, he’s a project that hasn’t progressed, and in today’s NHL, teams can’t afford third-round projects that don’t show tangible results within a few seasons.

The criticism of the Munzenberger pick extends beyond his personal shortcomings, though. It reflects a broader indictment of Holland’s draft philosophy — one rooted too heavily in outdated models of scouting and risk assessment. Where progressive franchises like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, and even the hated Calgary Flames have found gems beyond Round 1, the Oilers, under Holland, consistently missed opportunities to bolster the depth chart with NHL contributors.

It’s not as though the Oilers lacked picks during the Holland era. While they didn’t always have a full complement of selections, especially in later years due to deadline deals, Edmonton still had enough chances to add meaningful young talent. Unfortunately, those opportunities often fell flat — whether it was over-aged players with limited ceilings, longshot Europeans, or simply puzzling picks like Munzenberger that defied consensus rankings.

The ripple effects are clear today. Edmonton’s current roster leans heavily on expensive veterans, mid-tier free agent signings, and a bare-bones prospect pool. For an organization boasting two of the league’s top players in McDavid and Draisaitl, the failure to surround them with inexpensive, NHL-ready talent developed in-house has placed significant strain on the cap structure and limited roster flexibility.

Defenders of the Munzenberger pick — and there were few — pointed to his performances with Team Germany at international tournaments as evidence of untapped potential. But international play, particularly in lower-tier competitions, often inflates perception, especially when a player possesses size and physicality. The reality is, Munzenberger’s sample size at meaningful levels of competition, like the NCAA, paints a far bleaker picture.

Now, with his collegiate career winding down and little to show in terms of professional readiness, the writing is on the wall. Analysts, fans, and even segments of the Oilers’ front office are beginning to accept the inevitable: Munzenberger is unlikely to ever wear an Oilers jersey at the NHL level. Whether he returns to Europe or tries to claw his way into the lower tiers of North American pro hockey, his future with the organization looks nonexistent.

For a franchise with Stanley Cup aspirations, this is yet another example of wasted draft capital — capital that could have been used to fortify the defense, support the bottom-six, or provide organizational depth. It’s the kind of draft failure that contributes to a shallow pipeline and forces the team into tough decisions come trade deadlines and free agency windows.

The blame doesn’t rest solely with Munzenberger, of course. Players can only develop within the environments provided, and scouting departments share responsibility for proper evaluations. But as the architect of the draft strategy, Ken Holland ultimately bears the brunt of the criticism. His reliance on outdated scouting models, his preference for “safe” picks with limited ceilings, and his misjudgment of long-term potential have all contributed to Edmonton’s present predicament.

The Oilers, to their credit, appear to be shifting gears under the new leadership structure, with recent drafts showing greater emphasis on skill, speed, and hockey IQ — attributes critical to success in today’s NHL. But the shadow of Holland’s tenure still lingers, and players like Luca Munzenberger stand as physical reminders of the years Edmonton squandered valuable draft resources.

The Munzenberger story may not carry the same public sting as, say, a first-round bust. But for die-hard Oilers fans and those closely tracking the organization’s efforts to sustain competitiveness, it encapsulates a troubling pattern of poor asset management that has, at times, derailed Edmonton’s progress.

In the hyper-competitive Western Conference, every misstep matters — especially for a franchise trying to make the most of McDavid and Draisaitl’s primes. Draft misses like Munzenberger are more than just footnotes; they’re strategic failures that ripple through the roster for years.

For Oilers Nation, the hope now is that lessons have been learned, philosophies have evolved, and the days of draft whiffs like Luca Munzenberger are firmly in the rearview mirror. But until then, the latest chapter in Edmonton’s drafting woes serves as both a cautionary tale and another frustrating example of what could have been during the Ken Holland era.