Edmonton Oilers GM Pete Chiarelli has said it before and on Thursday he said it again.
Chia is more than willing to trade the tenth overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft if he can secure a quality, legit top defenseman in the deal.
Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl cannot break the puck out to themselves every shift. Enemy defenses know to put heavy forecheck pressure on the dilapidated Oilers D and make them turn the puck over at their blue line and in their end of the barn.
The Oilers missed the playoffs last season largely due to their turnstile defense corps that finished 25th in the NHL in goals scored against. Add in a pedestrian season by goalie Cam Talbot and you have a recipe for disaster. The Oilers were 27th in the league in goals against with 3.19 GAA.
"We would look to move the pick if the right player is available... I've had some discussions with some teams." Peter Chiarelli on the #Oilers top selection at this year's #NHLDraft (10th overall)
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 21, 2018
In other words, Chiarelli is trying with all get out to convert his 10th overall pick into Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen, Calgary’s Dougie agamilton, Boston’s Torrey Krug, Carolina’s Noah Hanifin or Philly’s Ivan Provorov. Be it the Oilers or another team, a rock solid player will be available for selecting at #10.
Dating back to his days as GM of the Boston Bruins, Chiarelli has had an affinity for Rasmus Ristolainen because he’s a mean mega-minute muncher who can score at even strength, QB PP1 and kill penalties. Ristolainen is not on the trade block, however, Jason Botterill just may be pursuaded to trade his feisty Finn tower of power in exchange for the 10th overall pick and a scoring forward.
Chia wants Risto for #10? If I’m Botterill, I tell Chiarelli the deal is Ristolainen and #32 for pick #10 and forward prospect Kailer Yamamoto (22nd overall, 2017), who was Mittelstadt’s linemate at WJC in Buffalo
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) June 21, 2018
I wouldn’t do a Ristolainen for #10 straight up. I would need a scoring forward. I want Kailer Yamamoto, who played on Casey Mittelstadt’s wing at the IIHF World Juiniors in Buffalo in January. Yamamoto scores 2 goals and 2 assists in 7 games at the WJCs. He scored 21 goals and 43 assists in 40 games last season with the Spokane Chiefs.
Botterill owns the Rasmus Dahlin pick and would like to pick a defenseman like slick Swede Adam Boqvist or Ty Smith at #10.
Imagine Botterill trading Ristolainen for #10 and then using pick to select Adam Boqvist at 10. Think about it. I love the idea.
Keep an eye on Calgary when it comes to #10. Brad Treliving is in desperate need of a first round pick because he traded his to the NY Islanders in last summer’s Travis Hamonic deal. Treliving has young D styds Rasmus Andersson, Jusso Valimaki and Iliver Kylington Ready to make the transition from AHL to NHL in training camp. This would make veteran Dougie Hamilton expendable to the Flames. Chiarelli and Hamilton worked together in Beantown.
Does Chia have it in him to trade #10 to hated rival Calgary for Dougie Hamilton?
Chiarelli knows Krug and Hanifin (Boston College) from his days in Boston as well.
"There's been a lot of chatter this week & we've been involved in the chatter... We'll see where it goes." Chiarelli on #Oilers trade possibilities during #NHLDraft week
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 21, 2018