Yeah, but that's six if you don't count Jones (since he's one that Cloutier said might be back). But it's not even six roster players anyway. All those guys never dress on the same night, and unless I'm mistaken, we're talking about 6-8 roster players.
I mean I'm not that bothered by it, because it didn't sound to me like Jones was coming back necessarily, but if Cloutier is right about the comments, then I'd be confused.
- Explosion

I think that Jones will be back, he had an off year because of the eye injury. Jones is a good energy guy that can add 15 or 16 goals as a third line player,also he is good on the penalty kill.

so is there a consensus that you guys are gonna draft a defenseman?

I just saw Team Canada's roster and I'm salivating at the idea of Duchene or O'Reilly centering Hall and Ebs.
- nayefj

Giroux

so is there a consensus that you guys are gonna draft a defenseman?
- rangerdanger94

honestly, does it matter? this new draft prospect isn't gonna play on the team for some time, at least i hope not. another prospect or young gun isn't gonna help the team.

i'm sure you're used to getting assaulted!!
- newmy

Yeah, I've been mugged thrice within the past four months I'm not sure if I'm just really unlucky, or if it's a testament to my stupidity.

honestly, does it matter? this new draft prospect isn't gonna play on the team for some time, at least i hope not. another prospect or young gun isn't gonna help the team.
- deks1

would be great for you guys to draft nurse.

all you guys need is a little bit of time for the young guns to develop more. halls already a beast...imagine once he fills out his frame

you need that to happen, and you need to get some veterans that can mentor them. drury and brad richards are examples of rangers mentors for young kids like stepan and it's paying huuuuuuuuuuuuge dividends.

if you guys could lure elias, gonchar, morrow, or hell iginla to help mentor hall, ebs, nuge, and yak it would be huge for their development.

then all that you would need is a guy like clowe or a defenseman like regher to help solidify your roster.

if only it was as easy as nhl 13 to sign these guys

How does this trade improve the Oilers? This sounds like something that Clouts would suggest. If we move the 7th pick it should be for a quality player, that can fill a specific need on the team.
- hunter3333

Use the 14th pick on a quality prospect, trade the other 2 picks for immediate help with the bottom six forwards.

The Oilers will likely be trading this pick or they will be taking a Canadian player. There's no way they will be taking another Russian. With the respect that they have show Yakupov, its highly unlikely they will bring another Russian to town to jeopardize that. Columbus and the Oilers could easily make a trade with Edmonton's 7th pick, Ales Hemsky and the Anaheim 2nd round pick going to Columbus for their three 1st round picks.
- Woowy

How does this trade improve the Oilers? This sounds like something that Clouts would suggest. If we move the 7th pick it should be for a quality player, that can fill a specific need on the team.
- hunter3333

while i agree that we need a roster player that can step in immediately more than anything else, i dont think its completely out of the realm of possibility we trade down.

the trade u commented on is prob abit of stretch, but iggy suggested two of cbj's firsts for ours earlier. and while i hope they explore going after the roster player first and foremost witht hat pick, going in the other direction wouldnt be crazy as a second or 3rd option either.

we're right at a number where the top elechon guys are gonna be gone and the next tier sorta starts. if we felt like we could get some guys of similar stature later in the round or werent sure who we wanted, it might be prudent. especially since the value of that top ten is still very high, and some other teams might be frothing over a certain player

If Monahan is gone at 7 grab nurse. If both are gone maybe trade down to get lazar and a roster player or another pick. Maybe grab horvat, gaiuthier or lazar.

The Oilers will likely be trading this pick or they will be taking a Canadian player. There's no way they will be taking another Russian. With the respect that they have show Yakupov, its highly unlikely they will bring another Russian to town to jeopardize that. Columbus and the Oilers could easily make a trade with Edmonton's 7th pick, Ales Hemsky and the Anaheim 2nd round pick going to Columbus for their three 1st round picks.
- Woowy

What? Please tell me you're not prejudiced

I don't think it is that easy. MacT has plans. He said that there could be as many as 8 new players on the team next year. Backup goalie, 2 dmen, hemsky's replacement. That leaves 4 spots. I think they are keeping smyth, I don't know how often he will play. Either he is thinking of changing another dman, Duby or adding character to the back end. You have lander, brown, Hartkinen among other signed. I don't see jones coming back without hartkinen or paajarvi going. Paajarvi is the only one with real value and we won't get what he is worth.

So either he is not doing anything except adding a forward and a dman or he is blowing up the defense and messing with the tending. Or he is all talk.

The Oilers will likely be trading this pick or they will be taking a Canadian player. There's no way they will be taking another Russian. With the respect that they have show Yakupov, its highly unlikely they will bring another Russian to town to jeopardize that. Columbus and the Oilers could easily make a trade with Edmonton's 7th pick, Ales Hemsky and the Anaheim 2nd round pick going to Columbus for their three 1st round picks.
- Woowy

The Oilers would love to have another Russian to play with Yak. That was a concern expressed by media when he was drafted. Will he stay with no other russians on the team except habby. Habby is now gone. I think that this would be a great pick for us. I am still up for trading it or bumping ahead two spots to get monahan. They know their dman isn't being taken by edmonton or calgary so why not try to trade down and get something. Heck they could probably trade further and still get him or Nurse and be laughing.

If Edmonton wants a Canadian, I bet they can get it by offering their 7th overall and an average prospect (maybe peckham) for the 5th overall.

The Oilers would love to have another Russian to play with Yak. That was a concern expressed by media when he was drafted. Will he stay with no other russians on the team except habby. Habby is now gone. I think that this would be a great pick for us. I am still up for trading it or bumping ahead two spots to get monahan. They know their dman isn't being taken by edmonton or calgary so why not try to trade down and get something. Heck they could probably trade further and still get him or Nurse and be laughing.

If Edmonton wants a Canadian, I bet they can get it by offering their 7th overall and an average prospect (maybe peckham) for the 5th overall.
- bsteinley

You are kidding right?
Peckham and the 7th would probably get them the 8th pick.

Yup.

Yup.
- MisterC

Duchene - 3rd overall 2009
Landeskog - 2nd overall 2011
Jones - 1st overall 2013

... is SO much different than:

Hall - 1st overall 2010
Nugent-Hopkins- 1st overall 2011
Yakupov - 1st overall 2012

You guys are just taking longer

Duchene - 3rd overall 2009
Landeskog - 2nd overall 2011
Jones - 1st overall 2013

... is SO much different than:

Hall - 1st overall 2010
Nugent-Hopkins- 1st overall 2011
Yakupov - 1st overall 2012

You guys are just taking longer
- MaximumBone

Except Landeskog and Jones are Midgets...

It shouldn't take much to swap picks with Carolina and steal Calgarys center if the Canes are in fact looking at D.

Um, I think it means they're f**cked! 3 straight 1st's couldn't make a difference, what will they do with a lowly 7th?

Robin Steele's d*ck just fell off...

this guy has a good home life
- TheNugeIsHuge

In a box along Groat Road. It's the perfect habitat for pedophiles and trolls.

Don't you think consistency should be a factor? He got 5 goals and 6 points in the last 2 games of the season.

He went 4 games straight with no points... and he went 3 or more 3 times in the season.

He also only had 1 goal in 26 games straight.. and 0 goals in 16 straight games. Went a stretch of about 25 games with only 5 points.

Seems pretty inconsistent in my eyes..
- kneughter

A fair point I suppose...

his consistency of scoring may not have been there. That only speaks to a part of the consistency of his overall game. I was pleasantly surprised with his effort and ability to forecheck/backcheck at an NHL level. Note that my argument isn't the tired "stats aren't everything", but rather a more nuanced "scoring is not the entire argument for game to game consistency".

However, if we were inclined to purely crunch numbers, Huberdeau went 5 games without scoring, 4 games twice and 3 games twice. Gallagher went 4 games once and 3 games once. I don't count it as a knock against any of them. In fact, it's the numbers I'd expect given that Montreal was one of the best offenses in the league, Florida one of the worst, and Edmonton right in the middle.

Finally, there's a just-so story for every scoring behaviour. Gallagher's 5 points in his last 5 games is him leading his team to the playoffs. Huberdeau's 4 points in his last 9 games is him desperately trying to make the best of a desperate situation. Yak's 6 points in 2 games are nothing points in a nothing set of games...
unless Gallagher's 5 in 5 are him padding his stats on a stacked team, Huberdeau's 4 in 9 are him tanking along with the rest of his team and Yak's 6 in 2 are him going balls out for the love of the game. Both sides are spin spin spin.

Except Landeskog and Jones are Midgets...
- MisterC

They are? Does Sweden have different height standards?

With the 6th overall pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft, the Calgary Flames are extremely excited to select... From Lakeville North High School, Charlie Lindgren!

The Oilers would love to have another Russian to play with Yak. That was a concern expressed by media when he was drafted. Will he stay with no other russians on the team except habby. Habby is now gone. I think that this would be a great pick for us. I am still up for trading it or bumping ahead two spots to get monahan. They know their dman isn't being taken by edmonton or calgary so why not try to trade down and get something. Heck they could probably trade further and still get him or Nurse and be laughing.

If Edmonton wants a Canadian, I bet they can get it by offering their 7th overall and an average prospect (maybe peckham) for the 5th overall.
- bsteinley

Forget the pick, why not sign a versatile vet like Dainius Zubrus (Lithuanian but speaks Russian obviously)?

You can play him at 3/4C with him slotting up the lineup at the beginning of the season - in fact our centre depth looks pretty good with Nuge, Gags, Horcoff and Zubrus (and maybe Lander up to start the year) - but he can also be a big defensive conscience for either Nuge and Eberle or a yakupov line.

Zubrus-Nugent-Hopkins-Eberle
OR
Hall-Zubrus-Yakupov
OR
Zubrus-Gagner-Yakupov

all look like intriguing lines.