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Draft Thoughts and Randoms |
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Yep, it's me with a few random thoughts. Enjoy.
- I'm nine followers away from 2,000 on Twitter (@rdcloutier), and you know what that means: I said when I get to 2k, I am giving away a pair of Oilers tickets. Well obviously, it's summer, so you'll have to wait till October before I do the give-away. But just like I did with my Ryan Smyth bobblehead, I'll actually stick with this contest/draft/luck thing. I won't give crappy pre-season tickets either. I'll try to give out tickets to a game that matters, like the Oilers vs. the Islanders.
- Stanley Cup Finals were over before they started. A four game sweep and a snoring-boring finals is the perfect way to finish off the worst playoff year I can remember. I suspect a major subject with the NHL this summer will be to find ways to make the game interesting again. My suggestion? Make the rink at least five feet wider, or create an illegal defense penalty outlawing the trap. They can't let the game continue to suck this bad or it's going to catch up with them at the ticket booth.
- I'm happy for the Kings and their fans though. At least there's a fan base in LA. I hate it when the cup goes to a city where no one cares. LA has been a great hockey town since Gretzky arrived.
- Life as an Oilers fan is fun right now. It's fun to play "connect the dots" with possible lines next season. Will it be Hall/Nuge/Yakupov and Hemsky/Gagner/Eberle, or Hall/Nuge/Eberle and Hemsky/Gagner/Yakupov? I know this isn't exactly the best set up, as the Oil need to subtract one small guy and add one big guy to the Top 6 for this to work. But show me a team that has six skilled guys in their Top 6 like the Oilers will have.
- The Oilers are taking Yakupov. Please stop asking me. Please stop suggesting otherwise. They aren't dealing the pick. They aren't taking a defenseman, even though they need a couple. Yakupov is a clearer #1 selection than Taylor Hall or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were. As an added bonus, the kid has a hell of a personality, and he's gonna sell plenty of tickets around the league because of it. Rock star.
- I'm still working on my final draft prediction list...I would have posted it already, but I'm having a really tough time knowing how to rank people. Okay, last year, we all knew the Oilers were taking Nuge, and the Avs were taking Landeskog. I was pretty sure Huberdeau was going 3rd, and that made Larsson the obvious choice to go at #4. It wasn't until pick #5...The Islanders taking Ryan Strome...things became unpredictable. History will show in a few seasons that the 2011 draft class was a pretty solid one.
But this year...Yakupov is the clear and obvious #1, but then what? Ryan Murray might be a non-flashy but solid #2 pick, but the Jackets need forwards more than D. If they take Alex Galchenyuk, they get someone who was injured last year and is harder to assess as a talent because of it. If they take Mikhail Grigorenko, they get someone who may or may not be dedicated. If they take Filip Forsberg, they make perhaps a safest pick, but he doesn't have the potential Galchenyuk of Grigorenko do.
With there being no clear #2 pick, it is going to be incredibly difficult to predict how the 2012 Draft is going to go. After Yakupov, who knows.
- More draft talk: Keep in mind 2012 is considered a soft draft class; one that lacks depth and star power. The draft floor could be absolute chaos with trades, because teams, especially as the 1st round moves past #10, will be willing to move picks for proven players.
- Here's Richard looking for a needle in a stack of needles: Let's predict some players who could be moved by Canadian teams during the draft.
1. Edmonton Oilers - Could deal Ales Hemsky or Sam Gagner in an attempt to get a 2nd - 1st round pick. Both players have, let's call it, debatable value in a deal. When the Oilers draft Yakupov 1st, they will be interested in acquiring another high pick so they can take a defenseman. Hemsky and/or Gagner dealt by themselves would likely not result in a Top 10 pick. I think both could bring in a 1st round pick, but we're talking lower than #10 for Gagner, and lower than #20 for Hemsky. The Oilers will also be looking to deal Linus Omark and Eric Belanger at the draft. For either, a 7th round pick or a bag of recycling would suffice.
2. Vancouver Canucks - Looking to deal Roberto Luongo. Also hearing Mason Raymond could be shipped out. Would the Canucks consider moving Ryan Kesler after his Gong Show antics during the playoffs? The Canucks will challenge for a cup again in 2013, so there's no need to blow things up. The Luongo situation must be dealt with, but after that, management has no pressure on them to do anything other than make picks.
3. Calgary Flames - The Flames believe they are in the playoff hunt, so I think they'll make their 1st round pick available for an immediate player. Adding a Top 4 defenseman is a huge priority if the Flames are serious about challenging for a playoff spot. Since they dealt with the Sabres last year, maybe they do it again? Would Sekera for the Flames #14 overall pick work for both parties?
4. Winnipeg Jets - The Jets might be one of the teams that takes a serious run at moving up. Why? They need a big #1 center in the worst way. One of Forsberg, Grigorenko or Galchenyuk could work. Grigs could be still around at Pick #9, as could talented Radek Faksa. The Jets have an attractive carrot to dangle: Defenseman Tobias Enstrom is in the last season of his contract, and is set to become a UFA in 2013. If Enstrom and the Jets pick were offered up to the Islanders for their 4th overall pick, would the Islanders respond?
5. Toronto Maple Leafs - Let's make the assumption Justin Schultz will become a Leaf defenseman on July 1st. TO will need to make roster room for him. The Leafs need a goalie, maybe...I'm not sure it was the goalie's fault what happened last season...but Luongo is the likely guy coming. There won't be any competition between teams for Luongo, so the Leafs won't lose anything of significance in a deal. If they add Luongo and add Schultz, maybe the Leafs will consider dealing their 5th overall pick and a defenseman to acquire an immediate #1 center? Where are all the Jordan Staal to TO rumors? It makes perfect sense to me. Add Staal, Schultz and Luongo to the Leafs roster without losing anyone currently there who is significant and see what happens.
6. Ottawa Senators - The Sens could be the quietest Canadian team at the draft. They have so much prospect depth, there really is no reason to do anything significant. Maybe they ship out a goalie to get a right winger? I think the Sens will just draft where they are and go home happy. This is a well managed and deep team that will be a cup challenger several times over the next 10 seasons.
7. Montreal Canadiens - Is the 3rd overall pick available? Perhaps a better question is, where exactly are the Habs at in the rebuild process? Or are they even willing to go "full rebuild"? It the Habs want to be better in 2013, they need a Top 4 Dman and a #1 center with size, perhaps the two hardest assets to acquire in the modern NHL. My guess is they just draft and stay away from deals. If Murray is gone at #3 they'll take Galchenyuk. If Galchenyuk is gone at #3, they'll take Murray. I've read a stack of things suggesting the Habs don't want either; they want Filip Forsberg. It's more likely the Habs will go full rebuild than move prospects for a chance to immediately improve.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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