Patrick King

WINDSOR, Ont. -- Help is on the way for the Edmonton Oilers.

In a season that has brought so much disappointment to the City of Champions, the franchise is in a prime position to turn its fate around with a game-breaking talent. Forty of the Canadian Hockey League's top prospects are assembled in Windsor and if Tuesday's skills competition is any indication, the Oilers are in a great position.

Be sure to watch the CHL Top Prospects game on Rogers Sportsnet Wednesday night.

Sure, much more was expected from the Oilers this season, but with the National Hockey League's second-worst record, it's time to look at the positives.

When looking at his team's possible future through this summer's draft, Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini must be like a kid in a candy store with a sweet-tooth for franchise-changing talent.

Since the draft lottery brings no guarantees, there is no certainty that a poor record will ensure the Oilers the player they want. However, even if Edmonton improves over the second-half to the point where they're not a lottery contestant, there's plenty of talent available in this year's crop.

The most obvious two are forwards Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin. The two have been intertwined since early this season and are the surest bets to go first overall.

Hall possesses blinding speed and highlight-reel capability with the most impressive resume, in both team and individual awards. Seguin is a year younger and a more reliable two-way player with budding leadership qualities.

Hall overtook Seguin in the NHL's Central Scouting mid-term rankings as the top North American-based prospect. Seguin had previously been ranked ahead of Hall in Central Scouting's preliminary rankings of Ontario Hockey League skaters.

To put it simply, it's a near lock that one will be picked first overall.

The obvious choice for the Oilers, should they be so fortunate to hold the first pick in the draft, is Hall. The Windsor Spitfires forward is an electrifying talent with a league and Memorial Cup championship already under his belt and the kind of game-breaking talent that would rejuvenate the fans' interest.

Despite growing up in Calgary and rooting for the hometown Flames in his youth, Hall's boyhood allegiance would quickly dissipate if chosen by his favourite team's biggest rival.

"I think Edmonton would be a nice place to play," he said.

The opportunity to play for a Canadian-based franchise is also something Seguin relished. Although he plays for the Plymouth Whalers, Seguin views Edmonton as an enviable destination.

"Any time you get to play for a Canadian team it's always pretty cool," he said. "The atmosphere is always amazing. Right now I'm playing in the States and I love it there so either way it's win-win for me."

If the draft lottery mimics the current standings, Seguin is the most obvious choice for the first pick. Peter Karmanos Jr. is the owner of both the Carolina Hurricanes and Whalers, and his NHL team has never shied away from fishing in its own pond.

Carolina has two fewer points than Edmonton to date, and it would be hard to imagine the Hurricanes passing on Seguin at the draft.

The team with the third-worst record could be wishing for a mulligan on draft day. The Toronto Maple Leafs thought they took a step towards a return to the playoffs with the acquisition of Phil Kessel from Boston last summer.

That hasn't worked out, and the Bruins now have the luxury of either using the pick or trading it for an established star.

Even if Toronto's pick isn't third overall or higher, there's no question the Leafs will be missing out on a superb talent. One of those players could have been Moncton defenceman Brandon Gormley, the eighth-ranked skater from Central Scouting.

Gormley won gold at last summer's under-18 tournament and was one of three 17-year-olds invited to Hockey Canada's December selection camp. Some have likened Gormley's style of play to Nicklas Lidstrom.

"It's fun to kind of watch (the NHL standings) and see if maybe you would go to that team and stuff like that," Gormley said.

Gormley has an outside shot at being selected in the top five. Cam Fowler, also of the Windsor Spitfires, is the most highly-touted defenceman for the draft, given his fluid skating stride and two-way play.

Prince George forward Brett Connolly and Kingston defenceman Erik Gudbranson are two more potential top-five picks. Connolly is a heady player with goal-scoring instincts, but has barely played this season due to a recurring injury.

Gudbranson, who is also missing the Top Prospects Game due to an injury, has a projectable frame and terrific hockey sense, not to mention a hard and heavy point shot.

A city with such rich hockey tradition is about to bring in another champion, while a franchise mired with forty years of futility is about to miss out on that same opportunity.