Team: Edmonton Oilers
GM: Steve Tambellini
First-round pick: 1
Number of picks: Seven. Round 1 (1), 2 (32) 3 (63, 91), 4 (93), 5 (123), 6 (153)
Recent first-round picks: C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011, 1st), D Oscar Klefbom (2011, 19th), LW Taylor Hall (2010, 1st), LW Magnus Paajarvi (2009, 10th), C Jordan Eberle (2008, 22nd), C Sam Gagner (2007, 6th), D Alex Plante (15th), C Riley Nash (21st).
Team needs: Thanks to four top-10 picks in the last five years, the Oilers are stacked with young forwards with a ton of potential.
Edmonton has drafted eight players in the first round in the draft since 2007, six of which are forwards. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle represent the future in Edmonton, but defensive needs have largely been ignored by the Oilers in the first round.
Edmonton needs help on the blueline. In stark contrast to their youth at forward, the youngest defenceman on the roster is Jeff Petry at 24. Petry also had the most points by an Oilers defenceman last season with 25 (2 G, 23 A).
Add that Edmonton’s defence ranked 23rd in the NHL with a 2.83 goals-against average, a young puck-moving defenceman seems to make sense in Edmonton.
Likely first-round target: Nail Yakupov, RW, Sarnia Sting
Other options: Nail Yakupov is the consensus No. 1 pick, and despite the depth at defence in this year’s draft, none is likely to be a No. 1 blueliner on any team in 2012-13.
Now that it has been reported that Tambellini and the Oilers will not trade the top pick, Edmonton should draft Yakupov. Despite Edmonton’s depth offensively, the highly-skilled Yakupov, who had 101 points in his rookie season with the Sting in 2010, will be hard to pass up on.
If the Oilers do go with a player other than the Sarnia Sting stand-out, a likely choice would be Everett Silvertips defenceman Ryan Murray. Murray has been praised for his leadership abilities, maturity and is considered by many to be the most NHL-ready prospect in the draft.
Murray may not be the most offence-minded player, but he could contribute as an Oiler next season.
Great moments in draft history: Following the collapse of the World Hockey Association (WHA), the Edmonton Oilers and three other teams (the Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and the Winnipeg Jets) merged with the NHL.
The Oilers lost most of their players from the 1978-79 WHA team, as the NHL held an expansion draft for players entering the NHL. Wayne Gretzky, an Oiler since 1978, was exempt from the draft due to a 21-year contract he had signed with the Oilers in 1979.
Significantly depleted, Edmonton was forced to rebuild through the draft. As the Oilers struggled in their first few seasons in the NHL, they were awarded with great draft position. Owner Peter Pocklington and coach Glen Sather made the most of this opportunity.
Edmonton drafted Kevin Lowe and Mark Messier in the 1979 draft (Edmonton’s first NHL draft), Paul Coffey and Jari Kurri in the 1980 draft and goalie Grant Fuhr in 1981. The rest is history.
A steal at No. 1: There is never a steal at No. 1, as all top draft picks are expected to be good. However, that doesn’t mean they always are. So instead of picking a steal at No. 1, it makes more sense to pick the best first overall pick in NHL history.
Simply put, it’s a no-brainer:
Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins, 1984
Sportsnet says: “If Edmonton doesn’t make a deal and stays in the No. 1 slot, Nail Yakupov has to be their guy. He’s too dynamic not to take. Yes, Edmonton has high-end forward talent but you can never have too much of it.
If they decide to pass on Yakupov, which could be a very costly decision, then it would appear Ryan Murray would be next on the list. He is savvy, smart, has size and can soon play in the NHL, which isn’t an easy proposition, especially for a blueliner.
Mikhail Grigorenko also offers something the Oilers need — size at centre. He could be a great compliment to Nugent-Hopkins. A lesser one-two punch along the lines of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.” — Gene Principe
