Hi friends. Hey, did you know I get a fair amount of emails regarding my blogs? It's true. Mostly it is people writing to tell me I'm stupid, but I do get the odd question or interesting thought. Today's blog is for you folks who have written...thanks for the feedback.
I had an email the other day from someone pointing out to me that Jordan Eberle is a center, and Taylor Hall can play center too. Fair enough. In respect to Eberle, it's my understanding that he can play center and the right wing. It's hard to say which he will be playing with the Oilers, but I have a feeling whichever position he plays on the line, Sam Gagner will be with him...or worded another way, if Sammy plays the right side, Eberle will play center; or if Eberle is playing the right side, Gagner will play center. That's just a hunch from your's truly.
In respect to Hall, the more I hear about his game, the more I think he will play the left side in the NHL. Scouts seem to talk about his game in the same breath as Jarome Iginla, which means he's a goal-scoring power forward who will be looking for the big pass from his centerman.
I've had numerous emails from people weighing in on the Tyler/Taylor debate. Interesting pattern forming in respect to this one: I've noticed the fans overwhelmingly want Taylor Hall, and the Edmonton-area media are convinced Tyler Seguin will be the Oilers pick. What do I think? It will be Hall, and what I base that on is two things: First, comments about Hall made by Oilers brass prior to the NHL Draft Lottery. I believe it was Kevin Lowe who explained Hall was the most talented player available at the draft, and the Oilers desperately need a superstar to rebrand their team around. The other factor, and yes, this could be completely imagined on my part, was Oilers GM Steve Tambellini's reaction to winning the Draft Lottery. If you can remember, he let out a huge sigh of relief. Everyone knows that Boston, who is loaded at center, would take Hall if they could. If the Oilers wanted Seguin over Hall, Tambi really wouldn't have cared if he finished 1st or 2nd.
I have a hard time offering a true opinion on the subject of Taylor/Tyler, because I have seen one play a number of times, and the other play very little. I love Taylor Hall's game, and he looked amazing playing with Jordan Eberle at the World Juniors. But I know Seguin has played one year less junior than Hall, and managed to tie him for the scoring lead in the OHL. Seguin is suppose to be a better all-around player than Hall, and he is a pure center, and the Oilers have needed a true #1 center for a long, long time. The only reason I lean towards taking Hall right now is based on his playoff performance in Windsor, but Tyler Seguin might very well be the best player the Oilers could take.
I have this theory, and I touched on it in the last blog, that the Oilers could take advantage of Boston's want to draft Hall...that being said, Boston would need to offer up something special; not just a 2nd rounder or something, but an actual NHL star player, for a deal of this sort to make sense. If Oilers brass truly believe Hall is the best player, they should go for it. At least the fans would be happy with the choice.
Final subject in regards to the Mailbag is in respect to the Oilers salary cap situation. This is a bit of a tricky subject, because if the Oilers have to keep Sheldon Souray, Patrick O'Sullivan, Robert Nilsson and Ethan Moreau, their ability to sign UFA's in the off-season will be compromised.
Hall or Seguin will come in at a $3.85mil cap hit, with signing bonuses and such. I don't have the numbers for Magnus Paajarvi, Jordan Eberle or Linus Omark, so I can't say what they will be making. And they'd have to make the team first for it to count. I think the Oilers will be able to trade Souray and O'Sullivan, but I can guarantee in order to do it, the Oilers will have to take a big salary or two back. Nilsson is likely to be bought out, because with his age, his buyout price would be 1/3 of the cap amount spread over the next two seasons ($333k). Moreau will be traded, I believe, for something like a 4th round pick at the NHL draft. The cap ceiling will come in close to $57mil this season, and I believe after the Oilers make deals and release some players, they will have roughly $10mil of cap room to play with. Knowing Oilers owner Daryl Katz, the Oilers will use any cap space they have available to bring in a player or two if possible.
One of these days I will do a cap breakdown in more detail than this, as it is an interesting conversation.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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