Wamp wamp waaa...

That's the sound coming from Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howsen when the Edmonton Oilers won the Entry Draft lottery back in June. Many speculated neither team wanted to win, as both teams wanted defenseman Ryan Murray. Rumor has it Oilers management were set to take Murray 1st overall until team owner Daryl Katz got involved. The fans clearly wanted Nail Yakupov, and the owner of the Oilers clearly understands who pays for the tickets and why it's important to keep them happy.

Did the Oilers make a mistake? Doubtful. Yakupov has looked like an absolute star in the making. His play has been so-so...so if he has 8pts in 11 games and leads the team in goals only playing "so-so", imagine what he does when he's a veteran. Murray, unfortunately, is gone for the season with an injury.

Going into the game, the Jackets are only three points back of the Oilers. Eleven games into the schedule, there's not much to choose from between most teams. 10 teams are within five points of each other; meaning, just about anyone could finish last or make the playoffs. Jackets and Oilers included. You'd think after three seasons of 1st overall draft picks, the Oilers would clearly be a better team, but they aren't.

A few notes going into Sunday's game:

- Ryan Whitney will be a healthy scratch. Mark Fistric and Corey Potter will be in. Not only will he be in, but the defensive pairings have been scrambled: Schultz x 2 stays the same, but Smid will be with Fistric and Potter will be with Petry. My guess is, they're trying to get some offense out of Petry, who has yet to produce this season. Smid/Fistric is a mean shutdown line.

- I heard a Ryan Smyth to the Islanders trade rumor on Saturday and I laughed for 15 straight minutes. Perhaps the worst trade rumor of all time. As bad as Smyth has played, he returned to Edmonton to save his marriage and to retire as a member of the only team he's ever loved. This guy bleeds Oilers colors, so fans who are having a problem with him should knock it off. It would be nice to see at least one guy who showed loyalty to the franchise be allowed to finish his career here.

- Moving Yakupov to the 4th line was stupid. Why fiddle with Yakupov/Gagner/Hemsky? Gagner's point streak is gone now. Yes, I know, they collectively had a terrible +/-. They were just starting to gel, and now you break them up? Dumb. Word is this morning, Yakupov will play on the top line with Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle. At least that makes more sense than the 4th line.

- Devan Dubnyk will be in net, which is fine. Nikolai Khabibulin played fine against the Wings, if that makes people feel a little better. Nice to have two guys who can play.

- Speaking of Oilers/Islanders trade rumors, the more I think about it, the more I think the two players we're talking about from New York are Lubomir Visnovsky and Josh Bailey. You've got to know Ryan Whitney is one of the guys going back in return. Do the Oilers have enough faith in the future of Teemu Hartikainen to make Ales Hemsky be the other piece in the deal? The suggestion that Visnovsky could return to Edmonton is almost as ridiculous as Smyth returning to the Islanders.

- If the Oilers acquire Bailey, it means two things: Sam Gagner stays as the #2 center unless the Oilers have a terrible year and have the ability to draft someone like MacKinnon, Barkov or Monahan...and both Shawn Horcoff's and Eric Belanger's life as Oilers will come to an end this June. Consider the Oilers at center next season to be Nuge, Gagner, Bailey, and Lander?

- Bailey played with Hall in Junior. Not sure if this helps or not, but there you go. Someone sent me a tweet telling me I don't know what I'm talking about on this, but look it up: Bailey and Hall were both on the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL during 2007/2008.

- When is Ryan Jones getting back? Come on, man, heal up already.

- Speaking of the draft, the Oilers absolutely love Curtis Lazar. If they can't draft one of the big five (MacKinnon, Jones, Drouin, Barkov and Monahan), I think they'll absolutely focus on taking Lazar, regardless where they're drafting in the round. He's a fair-sized, reasonably skilled offensive center who plays with some serious toughness and attitude.

- Considering how the Oilers feel about Lazar, I'm not sure if their 1st round pick is available. They really, really like this kid. Keep in mind who he plays for - The Edmonton Oil Kings - Oilers management see Lazar every single day so they know what they'd be getting.

- In the second round, the Oilers currently have two picks. Expect one to be used on goaltender Eric Comrie if he's available. Oilers love this kid too, and drafting him would make the Oilers three-for-three in drafting Comries.

- Jonathan Cheechoo with the Oilers farm team in OKC: 7 games played, 12pts, and a +3. He'll play for the Oilers by the end of the season if he continues like this. The Oilers are dying from a lack of scoring from their Bottom 6 group.

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