Gene Principe

It's an enviable position for Oilers GM Steve Tambellini to be in but not an easy one.

If you heard rumblings that Steve Tambellini, Edmonton's GM, tracked down Taylor Hall's mailman to see if Hall can deliver as well as Canada Post or that Tambellini went to see Tyler Seguin's kindergarten teacher to find out if Seguin could spell "success" at an early age, it's not true. But it's not far off.

Steve Tambellini and his scouting staff have quite a job ahead of them in charting the future of a franchise. They have a chance to make amends for what's gone wrong and all he or they have to do is make the right pick with the first overall selection in the 2010 draft.

To ensure that no stone is left unturned, the Oilers have gone back into both Hall and Seguin's past by talking to, among other people, their midget coaches. Now you can talk to anyone and everyone but the best way to get to know someone is face to face. That's why Steve Tambellini had dinner with each of the young men last week.

Imagine being an 18- or 19-year-old kid and sitting across from a man who could make you a millionaire if you say the right things and do the right things on the ice. Hey, no pressure kid.

"Will that be soup or salad?"

"I'll take a salad."

"How about dressing... low fat Italian... or cream fatty Ranch?"

I'd be second guessing everything I did or how I ate. Chewing with your mouth wide open wouldn't go over well but I don't think Tambellini is as interested in table manners as he is in what kind of manner either of these kids will make in jumping to the NHL.

His take on dinner for two is that Hall is all about hockey. He eats, sleeps, breathes the game and there is nothing more important in his life. He's after a second straight Memorial Cup.

Seguin is in a different phase of his life. First off his junior hockey has ended and he's still in high school. Academics are important and he can't solely focus on the game and so he came across as more well-rounded.

This isn't an easy choice because they play different positions, how they play is different and how they are is different as well. This isn't about picking a better model of the same car -- these are two different kinds of cars. If you had a choice would it be a Lamborghini or Ferrari? Which will get you there faster, but which one will last longer?

It's an enviable position for Tambellini to be in but not an easy one. It was easy when Pittsburgh took Sidney Crosby because there was a clear-cut No 1. That isn't the case in 2010. As a result the detective work will continue and the Oilers GM will see Hall play at least one more time on Monday.

After that the Oilers will have nothing but time and information on their hands to ultimately decide whose name gets called first on June 25.