Happy McDavid Day! I just want to get out a quick post about some Oilers pre-draft roster rumblings before I head to bed. It’s blistering evening here in Taipei.. Hot… Very hot…
What if I told you the defence of the Edmonton Oilers would start the season looking something like this:
Oscar Klefbom – Brent Seabrook
Martin Marincin – Mark Fayne
Barrett Jackman – Adam McQuaid
Darnell Nurse
Would that be something to perk the ears? Who would you rather pay top price for? Brent Seabrook or Dougie Hamilton? Would you be willing to buy out or take a bad deal to get rid of Andrew Ference and Nikita Nikitin? The bottom three names there just scare me looking at it. Not a trio of dmen I’d want to mess with. Older and more physical albeit but who’d you rather pay $4.5 million for, Nikitin or Jackman?
Hearing that the #Oilers will make a call to Barret Jackman tomorrow.
— InsideTheRink (@InsideTheRink) June 25, 2015
#Oilers one of first teams to contact UFA defenceman Adam McQuaid's agent Rick Curran. Very interested in adding size, toughness.
— Mark Spector (@SportsnetSpec) June 25, 2015
And What if I said the goaltending might look something like this:
Cam Talbot
Craig Anderson
You might say I’m crazy but how would you feel if that was your Oilers goaltending tandem going into 2015/16? Would you be happy to go without draft picks in the 2nd round for a couple seasons? I think I might.
CULT OF HOCKEY: Craig Anderson expects to be dealt to #Oilers, even as team interviews Cam Talbot http://t.co/7jZGkqu3Lo by @JonathanWillis
— Bruce McMcCurdy (@BruceMcCurdy) June 26, 2015
As for the forwards, would these lines appeal to you?
Hall-RNH-Eberle
Pouliot-McDavid-Yakupov
Winnik-Lander-Beleskey
Henricks-Gordon-Klinkhammer
Some big names being targeted by the #oilers? https://t.co/2sjykxaVYC
— Beer League Heroes (@BeerLeagueHeroe) June 25, 2015
If the Oilers don’t go out there and grab Beleseky, you know the Flames are going to and I believe he’d be an awesome RW on the third line with Lander and Winnik. And I know that a lot of people are penciling in Draisaitl but I can’t, at this point, see him starting the year with the team. He’s better off starting in Bakersfield. What about Nurse? Well he’s a beast of phenomenal proportions. On my list he’s a no.7 but surely that wouldn’t last, injuries will catch up to someone ahead of him and that will be that.
Do you think it’s even possible to trade for Brent Seabrook, Cam Talbot and Craig Anderson and keep all the major pieces intact for next year? Would signing Daniel Winnik, Barrett Jackman, Adam McQuaid, and Matt Beleskey as well as re-signing Martin Marincin be too much?
What do you think Oilers fans? Is it all a bit hasty for one off-season? I fear it may be.
With that said, I hope you enjoy the draft! I can’t wait to wake up in the morning and see what all the fuss is about this 3rd jersey everyone is talking about. Will it be better than the Beer League Heroes official jersey?
Ok that’s all! Have a great day! If you’re going out to one of the draft parties, drink responsibly and don’t let one bad decision ruin McDavid Day.
Take Care!
-BLH
