Nicholl signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers in April 2026. His deal carries an average annual value (AAV) of $985K and runs through the 2028-29 season. The 20-year-old scored 15 goals and amassed 26 points in 32 games for the London Knights in 2025-26. Nicholl scored once in five games for the Bakersfield Condors (AHL) in his arrival on the pro hockey scene at the end of the season.

Nicholl took a huge step forward in 2024-2025, helping the London Knights make their way toward a Memorial Cup Championship. Nicholl scored 21 goals and added 36 assists in 66 games. The goals came out of the blue, after scoring just six in 65 games the year before. There’s a mix bag of numbers behind the goal scoring. He fired 114 shots on net versus the year prior, but carried an 18% shooting percentage in 2024-2025 compared to 13% the year before.

The Edmonton Oilers drafted Nicholl in the seventh round (196th overall ) in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

The stats are interesting, but until Nicholl proves his mettle against larger, more tenured and skilled opponents at the professional level, it’s hard to feel certain of his fantasy value. That he was able to establish himself as a threat on a strong team with minimal powerplay opportunity makes the former seventh-round pick a fun player to root for. Nicholl projects as more of a bottom-six, two-way physical type, but his knack for finding the net will boost his notoriety and rostered percentage in your leagues. Nicholl is worth a stash in a deeper league so you can hold him as he moves up the ranks.