The Oilers have received some tough news regarding one of their top prospects, Will Nicholl, as he's expected to miss four to six months after undergoing surgery. The London Knights announced that forward Will Nicholl underwent successful upper-body surgery this summer <a href='https://lfpress.com/sports/local-sports/sport-notes-london-knights-will-nicholl-sam-oreilly-to-miss-training-camp' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>with an estimated recovery time of four to six months.</a> <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/LondonKnightsPR/status/1958914592232333497'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Will Nicholl's stock has been rising in Edmonton's prospect pool. The Cult of Hockey had him ranked 23rd among Oilers prospects last year, but this season he climbed all the way up to ninth. <h3>Nicholl is Ranked as High as the 8th Best Oilers Prospect</h3> Prospect analyst Bruce Curlock had him even higher, ranking Nicholl eighth overall, saying the news is a tough blow for the organization. Tough news for a kid who was trending very positively post draft. Hopefully this resolves the issue that clearly started after Christmas that he played through. His confidence with the puck. His pace. His touch. His finish. William Nicholl has some tools he can use. Nicholl uses these tools in combination with a really strong commitment to playing responsible hockey. - Bruce Curlock An Oilers seventh-round selection in 2024, Nicholl appeared to be a steal early last season, performing more like a high-round pick prior to tailing off in the second half, no doubt due to the injury that would ultimately require surgery. An explosive center who creates scoring opportunities using his speed and is not afraid to be physical. Projects as a bottom-six forward. 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 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. - Mark Henry, Dobber Hockey Though the recovery should keep him out of action well into the season, the Oilers and Knights can only hope Nicholl is able to return at full capacity and resume where he left off.