This is it. Draft day is upon us again and the Oilers are loaded for bear with assets to trade, and if they don’t then they are in a position to draft the best eligible player from the Canadian Hockey League. Edmonton can be the biggest player of the day and all eyes are on Peter Chiarelli.
The last 24 hours has seen Subban rumours go from “moderate” to “heavy” with many NHL insiders reporting that the Oilers are making a push for Subban. The latest at the time of writing this came from Kevin Weeks saying Edmonton started the morning offering Draisaitl + 4th Overall for PK Subban + 9th Overall.
Edmonton has made every indication that Draisaitl would not be moved, dating all the way back to fan appreciation night when every jersey was discounted except his, McDavid, and Nurse’s. It was a less than subtle way of saying, "These guys arent going anywhere and you can pay full price if you want their gear." The verbal from Edmonton and National media echoed the same sentiment. Draisaitl was going nowhere.
To have him potentially included in any deal is a massive change for the Oilers. Big centermen are hard to find. The Oilers took him 3rd Overall in 2014 and he has not disappointed them outside of the first half-season he was played. The Oilers made a grave error that makes Draisaitl someone the club has to protect in the expansion draft, but ultimately hasn’t hurt his development. He has the vision, size, and ability to play a top line role for the next decade with the Oilers or in Montreal.
Will this deal happen? Let’s say everyone is still leaning towards “NO”, but that doesn’t mean it wont happen. This whole thing is up to Bergevin. Finding a PK Subban is rare. Extremely rare. Finding a big-bodied center that is young enough to be with you for a decade is also rare. We are talking about two useful and talented player types that are difficult to find.
I love Draisaitl’s game. I think he can be a key cog in Edmonton’s future success. I would trade him and the 4th for Subban and the 9th in a heartbeat, but I’m not as attached to him as I am of Hall. If Edmonton can find a way to leave Buffalo with Subban and Taylor Hall, I cant see how we label it anything other than an unmitigated success.
IF THEY USE THE PICK
Should a Subban deal fall apart, Edmonton should draft Tkachuk, keep Taylor Hall, and move Eberle for a Plan B defender.
I feel very strongly that Chiarelli needs to avoid using it’s best assets to get a defender if that defender is not of equal value to a Taylor Hall. This happened a year ago when the team struck out on Dougie Hamilton then used the assets designated for that failed deal in one to get Griffin Reinhart. Being ready to move Hall for the right deal is not the same as being ready to move Hall.
Should the Oilers draft Tkachuk then they can keep the expansion draft exempt player in their system until he is ready to play for the club or until the Oilers are offered another defender for Tkachuk. That’s what they should have done with the 16th Overall pick a year ago. Barzal or Connor would be a better, tradable, asset today than Griffin Reinhart. Of that there is no question.
Take Tkachuk and be happy about it.
Oiler assets to watch today:
Hall
Draisaitl
4th Overall
Yakupov
Pouliot
RNH
Eberle
Nothing is happening. Everything is happening.
Happy Draft Day
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