With talk about the Oilers winning the lottery for the right to draft Auston Matthews, the question comes up as to whether or not the Oilers should deal the pick if they were to obtain the #1 yet again (and to be fair, this is the one thing this organization has proven able to win).
Now, trying to figure out what you could get for a “franchise” forward at the draft these days is problematic, this doesn’t tend to happen often. The standard for “franchise center” deals is still the Eric Lindros trade, so, in the spirit of attempting to translate this to today’s era, let’s see what Eric Lindros was worth:
Peter Forsberg – At the time he was still a prospect center who went #6 overall in the 1991 draft, he was considered a top-6 center prospect, with first-line upside, so that means the Oilers get a Top-6 C prospect;
Steve Duchesne – At the time, he was 6 seasons into his career as a defenseman, and he was putting up approximately .75ppg and would be defined as a clear “offensive defenseman” with solid numbers, but I wouldn’t define him as elite per say. So the Oilers can add in a power-play quarterback and top-4 defenseman to their haul.
Kerry Huffman – He had played parts of 6 NHL seasons as a left defenseman, and would best be described as a 3rd pairing player, so the Oilers get themselves a depth defenseman here.
Mike Ricci – He had played 2 pro seasons as a Center with solid point totals in those years, he’d best be considered an elite 3C or a solid 2C, so here, the Oilers get a premium 3C with 2C upside.
Ron Hextall – He had 6 seasons with the Flyers, at this point would have been considered an average starting goaltender in the NHL. Oilers get a standard goalie.
Chris Simon – He was a left-winger, and at the time of the trade he was a prospect with point projections at the draft saying Middle-6 winger. So the Oilers get themselves a winger prospect.
As for the draft picks, the Oilers would get a 1st round pick in two drafts of approximately #10 in value.
In regards to the $15 million in cash, the best we can calculate here would be retained salary on some contracts to help with cap space.
Now, the team everyone says would be willing to deal for Auston Matthews is the Arizona Coyotes. So, let’s see what we can find as equivalents on their rosters..
First, let’s look at the prospects. We need a Forsberg equivalent, essentially the top center prospect in their system, so that means Dylan Strome becomes an Edmonton Oiler. And as the equivalent for Chris Simon, we get Michael Bunting, a power-forward middle-6 type of left-wing prospect.
Next up, we need a top-4 defenseman. Now, normally people would be screaming for OEL here, but the equivalent on the Arizona roster might be closer to Michael Stone, a second-pairing quality defenseman with solid offensive ability, and he is a right-side guy the Oilers could use.
Moving on, we need a depth defenseman here, and the best equivalent on the Arizona roster for the Oilers here would be Zbynek Michalek, a veteran capable of 3rd pairing play as a right-handed defenseman.
Now, we need an elite 3C with 2C ability. Martin Hanzal looks right in this spot, probably re-signed by Arizona in advance of the deal, and looking at the $15 million cash aspect, Arizona would retain salary to put his salary at what would be appropriate for the Oilers to use him as that elite 3C.
As for the goaltending, well, Mike Smith would be an equivalent to Hextall at this point perhaps, and yet again the Coyotes would be required to retain salary as part of the transaction, enough to make Mike Smith’s salary viable as a backup.
Lastly, we get those two 1st round picks as well.
So, here’s the rough equivalent:
Dylan Strome (top-6 center prospect)
Michael Bunting (middle-6 winger prospect)
Michael Stone (top-4 offensive right-hand defenseman)
Martin Hanzal (elite 3C, salary retained and resigned for 3 years)
Mike Smith (average league goaltender, salary retained)
First round picks in 2017 and 2018.
Now, I know, we don’t get OEL in this scenario, but there’s a variety of parts for the Oilers to work with out of this crew to address issues, and I think would be roughly equivalent to the Lindros deal in this case.
If this was the deal, would you make it for Auston Matthews?
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With the NHL trade deadline making it’s decent sooner than later, I reckon it’s time to get into some hypotheticals and create some stir. In my opinion, the Edmonton Oilers are an improving team but they are lacking some key elements found in the teams that brought coach Todd McLellan’s San Jose Sharks and general manager Peter Chiarelli’s Boston Bruins Success.
I feel that the Oilers are lacking in the following:
Veteran Playoff-Experienced Leadership – I don’t think this team has a definitive leader that everyone looks up to. No Chara, no Thornton. Hendricks is a dandy veteran and Hall is an emotional guy but I don’t see the team buckling up and following those two into the trenches.
Intelligent Puck-Moving Defenceman – Jultz, I’m sorry, but he’s not going to cut it and as good as Oscar Klefbom is, he’s not the guy you’re looking for here. Sekera is okay, Davidson too but there’s not-a-one guy who can move the puck fast enough or smart enough on this Oilers team.
Shooters – Have you watched the Oilers PP or whenever they get set up in the offensive zone? How many cute little passes do they try to make before the other team takes the puck away and sends it down-ice? They need a trigger man and for some reason Yakupov isn’t getting the chances or taking advantage of the one he does have. Eberle is doing well now but he does well every year when the playoffs are out of reach and he’s just as guilty of making those cute plays as the others.
Physical, Tenacious, Fearless Wingers – McLellan and Chiarelli want a better cycling team down low? Well players that are slight in stature won’t last long in that system. The team needs size and puck protection on their wings. If Nuge comes back and Draisaitl is moved to the wing, this could be a redundant element.
Now just to preface, I don’t want the team to make all of these trade. That’s just nonsense. I would, however, like to see the team make some considerable moves. I really think that the team is due for a big shake up and this might be the last season where we see Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Justin Schultz playing for the Oilers.
These aren’t rumors I’ve heard through the grapevine nor are they proposals I’ve ripped off of HFBoards or Facebook or Twitter. They’re simply cannon fodder for conversation, nothing more and nothing less. Besides, I’m sure there are much smarter people over at HFBoards with much better suggestions. I’m just trying to have a bit of fun and hope you guys will join in.
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Trade #1
Justin Schultz to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 3rd round pick.
Reasoning: To get him the F out-of-town. He’s harshing my mellow and the Lightning could use a RH dman to cover for Jason Garrison while he sits on IR. The Oilers need to stock up on early round picks too. Their system is bone dry.
Trade #2
Teddy Purcell to the Chicago Blackhawks for Mark McNeil.
Reasoning: Every likes Teddy and he deserves to go to a team that has a good chance at winning the cup. The Oilers would get back a 22-year-old, hard-working, gritty forward who scores at nearly a point-per-game pace in the AHL. He’s 6’2″ and nearly 200lbs and plays a style suited to the bottom six. Regularly spoken of by Bob Stauffer when it comes to trade rumors between the Hawks and Oilers.
Trade #3
Taylor Hall to the Winnipeg Jets for Jacob Trouba, Kyle Connor, and Andrew Ladd.
Reasoning: As I’ve said in the past, I do not believe that Taylor Hall is in Peter Chiarelli’s long-term plans. He’s not afraid to make the difficult move either. Jacob Trouba is a highly regarded young dman who is struggling in his third NHL season but he’s coming up in trade rumors a bit more frequently now. The American-born defenseman plays the right side and is a restricted free agent this summer. Trouba reminds me of Dave Manson a bit, he’s mean and he’s got a cannon. Left winger Andrew Ladd is the leader this team has been clambering for since Bill Guerin left, and Kyle Connor is tearing up the NCAA Jack Eichel-style.
For Oilers fans, yes it would hurt to lose a talent like Hall and the Oilers would have to work hard to get Trouba and Ladd signed but every year Hall plays I can’t stop thinking about other elite wingers that had to go elsewhere to experience success. Marian Gaborik, Rick Nash, and Ilya Kovalchuk are all examples. And I look at a defense that is built around Oscar Klefbom, Andrej Sekera, Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba, and Brandon Davidson and think, “Yup, that’s not too shabby! Expensive down the road but effective.”
Jets fans can rejoice in potentially having one of the best lines in hockey in Hall-Little-Wheeler as well as a defence that includes Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers and Josh Morrisey.
Trade #4
Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders for Kyle Okposo and Josh Ho-Sang
Reasoning: Here comes the muscle. Okposo would be the Nathan Horton-like player Chiarelli is looking for. I added Ho-Sang here because he’s a headache with tremendous potential but is also a wildcard AND Okposo is a free agent at season’s end who is looking for some top dollar. Another note on Ho-Sang, the Oilers are truly lacking some real offensive prospects in their cupboards. Sleypyshev? Is he the only real offensive gem (if you can consider him a gem) down in Bakersfield that is an Oilers draft pick?
Ok now. I’m sure you’re fuming over that Hall idea but calm your tits. Yes, Eberle and McDavid are having success together and Ebs looks like a man possessed. He’s fun to watch again but I urge you to look up the names Blair MacDonald and Rob Brown… He’s a complimentary winger who doesn’t fit into McLellan’s and Chiarelli’s system in my opinion. McDavid is THAT GUY who makes others better, right Benoit Pouliot?
Trade #5 (If the Oilers win the draft lottery)
The first round pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Rasmus Ristolainen and the Sabres first round pick.
Reasoning: Auston Matthews-Jack Eichel-Ryan O’Reilly… That is a 1-2-3 punch if I’ve seen one. I think it’d hurt for them to lose the big Finn Ristolainen but they signed Cody Franson to be an impact defender and he’s playing third pairing… Perhaps he’s being deployed incorrectly. With Brendan Guhle coming in next year or Chad Ruhwedel, they’ve got cover for that #6 spot in the defense.
Edmonton simply doesn’t need any more 1st overalls let alone high impact forwards. They’re dying on the back-end and a deal like this would do wonders I believe.
So what do you think about my trades? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to check out the new Better Call Hall tee below! It’s on for $14 until Tuesday I believe, then she goes back up to regular price.
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It’s that time ladies and gentlemen. We are looking down the barrel of a shotgun named playoffless for a tenth straight season and unless the return of Connor McDavid, Oscar Klefbom, and Brandon Davidson can propel this team past the likes of a surging Anaheim Ducks, the ever-present Arizona Coyotes, or the unpredictable Vancouver Canucks, we’re starting at a top 5 pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft… Again.
So it behooves me to introduce you to some of the prospects that could be available in the form of a mock draft. Now, I had my amazing prospects writer, Corey Mitchell (@corn_cwm), help me out a bit here by doing up a mock of his own to which I will comment on each of his picks.
From here I’ll turn it over to Corey.
I used Craig Button’s most recent draft rankings to conduct my draft. I’ve included the player’s current team, as well as Button’s draft ranking. My selections, with standings as of the All-Star break, are as follows. Note: this does not take into account any future trades, or the draft lottery itself.
1. Columbus Blue Jackets – Auston Matthews, Zurich ZSC, Swiss A (1) CM – Matthews is the consensus number one pick in all the draft rankings I’ve seen. This is a no brainer.
BLH – I agree. Ryan Johansen is gone and they need a true no.1 franchise centerman. Matthews is their man.
2. Buffalo Sabres – Jesse Puljujarvi, Karpat, SM-liiga (2) CM – Large right-winger, currently the overwhelming favorite to go number 2 in the draft, despite only 18 points in 38 games.
BLH – I wonder if the Sabres go with Puljujarvi’s sharp shooting teammate Patrik Laine here. Eichel’s the setup man with Laine sniping… Either way the Sabres need some scoring from the wing and they can definitely pick that up at this year’s draft.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs – Matthew Tkachuk, London, OHL (4) CM – This is where I go a bit off the board, only because of the chemistry Tkachuk has with Leafs prospect Mitch Marner.
BLH – I like Tkachuk here too but not because of his chemistry w/ Marner but because of the Mark Hunter/London Knights connection. I’m torn here though, what about Toronto’s mediocre depth on defense or would they take Jesse Puljujarvi due to his exquisite puck possession skills. We know Kyle Dubas is an analytics monster, how heavy will his opinion weigh on the final say and what about William Nylander’s brother, Alex, who we’ve heard could be better than William?
4. Edmonton Oilers – Jakob Chychrun, Sarnia, OHL (7) CM – For the Oilers, it’s about drafting for need, not best available. A large blue liner to help fill the lack of depth they continue to have.
BLH – I love Chychrun here. He’s a helluva skater, he can quarterback the powerplay, he’s got mad poise, and he’s drawn comparisons to Rob Blake. If Chychrun is gone at this point and Matthew Tkachuk is available, lock it in. Tkachuk will be an Oiler. Edmonton needs to add some character and Tkachuk has it in spades. Also, I’m not a fan of Laine’s history of mental lapses and injury history.
5. Winnipeg Jets – Patrick Laine, Tappara, SM-liiga (3) CM – The Jets would be ecstatic to see this large body forward still be available to them at number 5.
BLH – I dig this pick for the Jets too. His countryman Jesse Puljujarvi has drawn comparisons to former Jet, Teemu Selanne, but I see Laine becoming a great scorer alongside Kyle Connor and Nik Ehlers someday. I’ve heard him compared to Stamkos in regards to his scoring ability.
6. Calgary Flames – Alexander Nylander, Mississauga, OHL (5) CM – The Flames take the best player available to the at number 6, an offensive minded forward to fill the ranks with their young core.
BLH – I don’t see the Flames going with Nylander here. They’ve got Bennett and Monahan to cover the bases for the time being and Nylander doesn’t seem like a Burke/Treliving kinda guy. I could see his linemate in Mississauga, the lightning fast Michael McLeod going here or perhaps Boston University defenceman Charlie McAvoy. Burkie loves a good American boy and McAvoy did very well in the Ryan Suter role at this year’s World Juniors.
7. Anaheim Ducks – Olli Juolevi, London, OHL (6) CM – The top ranked defence man at the moment, the Ducks would be more than happy to add him to a system that could be lacking in top blue liners soon.
BLH – Here is a Ducks team that has Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Brandon Montour, Shea Theodore, Jacob Larsson, Cam Fowler… There’s no shortage of great young dmen there. They’re looking to add some top six scorers and I say they go after Alexander Nylander here or Julien Gauthier. It’s either skills to thrill (Nylander) or Mac truck power (Gauthier). Either way, they’d be adding a major threat to their offense.
8. Philadelphia Flyers – Pierre-Luc Dubois, Cape Breton, QMJHL (10) CM – The Flyers take Dubois two spots higher to add some youth, size, and offense to their forward prospects depth chart.
BLH – PLD wowed at the top prospects game and I can’t help but like him at this spot too. The Flyers are building a nice looking team here with the likes of Sam Morin, Ivan Provorov, and Travis Konecny coming in. Dubois fits right in here.
9. Arizona Coyotes – Mikhail Sergachev, Windsor, OHL (9) CM – Taken right were Button feels he should be to help add depth to the blue line.
BLH – The Coyotes are so boring so it makes perfect sense that they’d grab the least of the flashy defencemen here. Warren Rychel compared him to a former teammate of his, Alexei Gusarov, in that he’s Captain Cool out there and nothing fazes him.
10. Carolina Hurricanes – Tyson Jost, Penticton, BCHL (12) CM – With Eric Staal rumours about, the Canes could be needing to draft for need. In my mind, Jost is the best centre available to them.
BLH – I am in agreeance that the Canes will be looking at adding to their forward corps. but I’m not sure it’ll be Jost. Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about him, I reckon that Ron Francis would prefer to go for a Michael McLeod or Julien Gauthier if they’re still around when they pick.
11. Ottawa Senators – Dante Fabbro, Penticton, BCHL (8) CM – Fabbro drops a few spots because of teams drafting for need, and the BCHL being overlooked a bit. Decent size and offensive instincts could make him a dangerous addition to the Senators.
BLH – Where the ‘Canes need offense, the Senators need defense. If one of Juolevi, Sergachev or Fabbro are still here then I could really see the Sens selecting them. Each add their own special spice to the game but they would definitely be a great help to Ottawa down the road. The Senators did very well with their selection of Thomas Chabot last year, you can have faith if they go a similar route this year.
12. Montreal Canadiens – Julien Gauthier, Val-d’Or, QMJHL (15)
CM – The Canadiens love to take their French-Canadian players, and Gauthier is the best available to them, with good size, and offensive numbers.
BLH – Love the pick of Julien Gauthier here. I’m a sucker for romantic narratives like the French-Canadian leading the Habs to success or the local Toronto boy heading up the Leafs. That being said, they could use a bit of help at all positions. One has to wonder about Clayton Keller here too. The Habs are having trouble scoring and Keller is a crafty playmaker…
13. Nashville Predators – Clayton Keller, US NTDP, USHL (11) CM – After dropping a few spots, Nashville would be quick to take Keller to help with their issues of depth down the middle.
BLH – Not sure if the Preds would take Keller here now that they have Johansen and there’s Kevin Fiala coming up too. I like Kieffer Bellows here. Son of former NHL sniper, Brian Bellows. He’s lighting the USHL up right now with 32 goals in 40 games. A very tenacious player and would be a great fit in the Predators system.
14. Toronto Maple Leafs (PIT) – Michael McLeod, Mississauga, OHL (17) CM – Decent sized centre playing for his hometown Steelheads, and having a very productive year.
BLH – McLeod would be a lovely selection here for the Leafs but I’m still enamoured by the Mark Hunter/London Knights connection and if I were the Leafs I’d go for Max Jones. A very dangerous power forward with NHL size (6’3″ 200+lbs). He’s trapped behind some great talents in London at the moment but when all of those players left to play at the World Juniors, he stepped up his game. He’s a bulldog out there and might have a dusting of the Wendel Clark to him…
15. Vancouver Canucks – German Rubtsov, Russia MHL, RusJr (13) CM – The Russian centre drops a few spots, but with a young forward core ready to take over, I see the Canucks taking a chance on him.
BLH – I do like the Russian here. He’s a very responsible two-way player and add him to the likes of McCann and Horvat and you’ve got some sweet depth in the making. God know the Canucks are going to need it when the Sedins are gone… Best plan of attack might be to have the best defensive team in the league.
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16. Colorado Avalanche – Kieffer Bellows, US NTDP, USHL (14) CM – Another drop in the rankings, Bellows could be another productive addition to an already impressive young group of forwards in Colorado.
BLH – If I’m the Avs, I do what I can to add to the defense here. Be that by taking offensive dynamos Jake Bean or Samuel Girard, the aforementioned Charlie McAvoy or the yet to be mentioned Kale Clague. This team needs to shore that part of the organization up and pronto.
17. Boston Bruins (SJ) – Dillon Dube, Kelowna, WHL (18) CM – An offensive minded centre, if a bit on the small side at 5’ 10”, the Bruins are looking to fill organizational needs.
BLH – The Bruins are solid in regards to their prospect depth with Pastrnak, DeBrusk, Zboril, Subban and Morrow coming up. I think if they went with the best player available here it wouldn’t be a surprise. Two names pop out at me, Logan Stanley (6’7″ 220lbs) and Max Jones (if available). The inevitable Chara comparisons come out with Stanley and justly so. He’s a bit stay-at-home dmen with an edge. Jones’ comparison is obviously close to Milan Lucic and surely Bruins fans could get on board with that.
18. New Jersey Devils – Jake Bean, Calgary, WHL (19) CM – Always keen on defencemen, the Devils take Bean, although not the highest ranked player still on the board, because of his size, and his offense.
BLH – This team is bereft of any prospect depth with the highlights being Pavel Zacha, MacKenzie Blackwood, and Steve Santini. They are in dire need of some help everywhere and I’d like to see them go with Connor McDavid’s former linemate in Erie, Alex DeBrincat here. Devils fans from many moons ago will remember Steve Sullivan… DeBrincat is an elf of a player but he can put the puck in the net. If you’re a Devils fan, wouldn’t you like to see some more scoring?
19. Boston Bruins – Alex DeBrincat, Erie, OHL (21) CM – Although on the small side, DeBrincat is having a stellar year for the Otters. Has the ability to play centre or wing.
BLH – Here we are with the Bruins second pick in the first round and fifth first rounder in two years. I maintain, if Logan Stanley or Max Jones are still lingering here, they should go that route. If not then why not take a chance on Tyler Benson (injuries have derailed a promising junior career but he’s got mad character and loads of potential) or the towering Logan Brown (6’6″ son of former NHLer Jeff Brown).
20. New York Islanders – Vitalii Abramov, Gatineau, QMJHL (20) CM – Abramov doesn’t move out of his current ranking, and could be a dynamite player for the Islanders, as he’s lighting up the QMJHL at the moment.
BLH – I don’t see a lot of weaknesses on the Islanders pro squad depth or it’s prospect cupboard. The could very well take the talented Russian but I wonder if they’d take a chance on the top ranked goalie Carter Hart here. Then again Garth Snow is fairly unpredictable, maybe he’d go as far as to double-down on this pick and take Sean Day at this point?
21. Minnesota Wild – Riley Tufte, Blaine, High School (25)
CM – A big body forward, the Wild draft this local product a few spots higher because of the size he brings up front.
BLH – I like the Wild’s depth on D right now so I reckon they could be after a forward. More specifically a center and Tufte fits right in. Big guy, can skate like the dickens, and has an innate ability to get his shot off anywhere. Mikko Koivu isn’t going to be there forever and the next guy in line right now is Jarret Stoll… That being said Joel Eriksson-Ek is an outstanding center too and he’ll be giving Koivu a run for his money sooner than later.
22. Detroit Red Wings – Mitchell Mattson, Grand Rapids, High School (23) CM – A large forward at 6’4”, the Red Wings have a knack for finding hidden gems in the draft. This local product could be another one.
BLH – The Red Wings have some lovely prospects coming on the wing in Anthony Mantha and Evgeny Svechnikov. I don’t see them adding there. But they could use a guy like Kale Clague on defense. Very cool and collected, doesn’t get fazed and has a very good hockey IQ. Perfect for the Detroit system.
23. Tampa Bay Lightning – Samuel Girard, Shawinigan, QMJHL (16) CM – I have Girard dropping down because of his size. But with so much potential upheaval in the organization, Tampa takes the best player still on the board.
BLH – Sam Girard could very well go to the Lightning but with Anthony DeAngelo and Slater Koekkoek coming would he be a good fit? The Lightning’s roster is deep and varied in every sense of the word. It’s hard to say what kind of player they’d lean towards. Are Stamkos and Drouin still with the team this summer? Maybe Yzerman dips into his Swedish contacts and goes with two-way forward Rasmus Asplund or the gritty Carl Grundstrom.
24. Arizona Coyotes (NYR) – Charlie McAvoy, Boston U, NCAA (22) CM – Good size for a defenceman, with some offensive upside. Arizona has a nice set of young forwards already, and continue to build the blue line.
BLH – I’m with Corey on this one. If McAvoy is still available I think the Coyotes would be best served taking him.
25. Florida Panthers – Logan Stanley, Windsor, OHL (24) CM – With one of the best young groups of players in the league, and drafting in unfamiliar territory, the Panthers look to add size to their blue line.
BLH – This is definitely a team I could see picking Carter Hart. Goalies in the first round isn’t always a sure thing but the way he’s dominating the WHL this year. The Panthers’ roster is more or less set for the foreseeable future so they can afford to take a chance here on what could be a very good goalie in the future.
26. Carolina Hurricanes (LA) – Brett Howden, Moose Jaw, WHL (30) CM – With a second pick, the Canes go off board a bit, taking 30th ranked Howden at 25. Big body centre with nice offensive upside to help shore up the middle.
BLH – I had to take a second look when I saw Carolina picking here, I forgot they got LA’s 1st rounder in the Sekera deal. I like the skilled and amazingly named Sam Steel here. Great at creating offense and isn’t that just what the ‘Canes could use? If not him, then why not a flyer on Top Prospects game star, Pascal Laberge?
27. St. Louis Blues – Tyler Benson, Vancouver, WHL (26) CM – Benson stays on track, having fallen down the list over the season. A nice addition to the forward group in St. Louis.
BLH – Tyler Benson would be a great addition to the Blues and it’s hard to gauge where this team will be and what the make-up of it will be in 3-4 years when this prospect develops but if not Benson, why not a PP quarterback like Chad Krys?
28. Dallas Stars – Markus Niemelainen, Saginaw, OHL (33) CM – Things get interesting, as the Stars overlook a handful of players to take the large defenceman from Sarnia.
BLH – Woof! Another team that has a great NHL roster and a deep prospect cupboard. Corey has them taking the Finn, I’d like to see them take a Canadian. Power forward Nathan Bastian makes up 1/3 of the Mississauga Steelheads top line with Alex Nylander and Michael McLeod. He’s a big boy (6’3″ 195lb) and we know the Stars do alright drafting big wingers…
29. Chicago Blackhawks – Carter Hart, Everett, WHL (32) CM – The only goalie to go in the first round. He has sensational numbers this year, and could be the goalie of the future for Chicago.
BLH – Rough goalie depth for the Hawks right now. I agree with Corey, if Hart is there, they should take him.
30. Washington Capitals – Will Bitten, Flint, OHL (27) CM – The best player on the board with a few teams going for later ranked players, Washington would love to have this skilled player available at number 30.
BLH – What a name?! Will Bitten. I’m not sure if the Caps go for him, he’s a great two-way center but I think they’d likely want to re-stock the defense here. Libor Hajek is a wonderful blueline who models his game after LA Kings dman Drew Doughty. He’s got good hands and hockey sense and he’s willing to play a physical game.
Well there it is! 3000 words later we’ve come to the end. Let us know in the comments below if you agree with our picks!
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Veteran sports journalist Larry Brooks recently wrote an article in the New York Post discussing what the New York Islanders need to do take the Eastern Conference and part of his post included a tidbit about a player on the Edmonton Oilers…
If we’re going beyond rentals, and why not, don’t the Islanders have enough to get Jonathan Drouin? And is there enough for Snow to pull off a deal with old trading buddy Peter Chiarelli, now in Edmonton, to get young Taylor Hall onto No. 91’s left wing? Wouldn’t that be something? – Larry Brooks
Now this is nothing more than commentary on the part of Larry Brooks but I feel that it’s not completely unrealistic. It’s pretty far out there but for the sake of igniting a bit of water cooler talk, I think we should delve into it.
Now the reason we can sit here and talk about the idea of moving Taylor Hall is simple, what’s he done the last 15 games when the team has needed him so badly? Well he’s contributed three goals in that time. Ouch. The good thing is that in the past three games he’s produced five points. But that 15 game stretch hurts the Oilers. He’s their main man this year and up until the loss to Vancouver on Boxing Day, he was getting points left and right.
Let’s be straight about something though, this is not an anti-Hall post. It’s simply me taking a shot at an idea put forth by another writer. Just for shits and giggles if you will.
The Return
So Hall is the Oilers (and possibly the NHL’s) best LW, he’s doing a majority of the scoring and the next person on the depth chart after him is Benoit Pouliot… So I’d be looking to toss a band-aid on there but my main concern would be on defence. With the Islanders that’s easy, Travis Hamonic. But it couldn’t be a straight up deal there, Garth Snow would have to toss in something else… Something big.
Brock Nelson is a guy that would have some value to the Oilers. He’s a big body, is about to put up around 200 shots this season if everything goes to plan and should be good for around 25-30 goals (which would be a career high but he’s shooting at 17% when his career average is around 10%, so we can expect that to come back to earth at some point). He’s good on the face-off dot (51%) and is above water (barely) on the CF% Rel (.2)
Ryan Strome is another player that is worth your time. He’s a forward that can play across the board with a solid build (6’1″ 199lbs). He put up 50pts in 81 games last season and then for whatever reason found himself on the outside looking in this season. He was sent down to the AHL for 8 games where he racked up 10 points in that time. He’s too good for the AHL and he needs to find a team that could accommodate him in the NHL if the Isles aren’t willing to do so. Not that there is any indication that the Isles are unhappy with Strome but he’s def. not getting the same push this year as he was last season.
But let’s say it’s one of those players, prospects, and a pick deals… We’ve got Hamonic already, so moving on to the prospects. Two jump out at me right away, Michael Dal Colle, a LW plying his trade with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL, and Mathew Barzal of the Seattle Thunderbirds. Another prospect by the name of Ryan Pulock, a right-handed shooting dman, catches my eye a bit too.
Dal Colle hasn’t had an amazing season so far. He was cut from the Team Canada World Junior team as he wasn’t producing at the rate he was expected to (he had back to back 90+ point seasons before this one) in Oshawa before his trade to Kingston. But since that deal MDC has been scoring at more than a 2 PPG clip, so that is a plus. The other thing that is intriguing about him is his size, he stands 6’3″ and 198lbs according to eliteprospects.com and he’s a former 5th overall pick from the 2014 draft.
Mathew Barzal is a crafty playmaking centre who is remarkably good at reading plays. He had a few highlight plays at the World Juniors in Finland for Team Canada but was under-used in my opinion. He has an injury history but has moved on from that to put up very respectable numbers this year (45 points in 27 games so far). The Oilers did have a chance to select him but chose to move their second first round pick in the Griffin Reinhart trade where the Islanders landed him at #16 overall. Lastly, he was one of the final cuts at Islanders camp this year so there’s that to consider as well.
Ryan Pulock could be the powerplay quarterback the Oilers have been looking for since they signed Justin Schultz. He’s got a cannon of a shot and decent size (6’2″ 220lb.) but his downside being he’s not the most physical of players and his skating could use a bit or work.
As far as draft picks go, the Islanders first rounder is a given. At this point it is sitting at 23rd overall and we don’t know how the Isles will do in the final third of the season, so it could go up or down but they’re sitting in a playoff spot right now, so let’s assume it’ll stay in the 20-25 range thus giving the Oilers a plethora of options.
At that point in the draft they could add depth to the forwards by picking skilled players like Sam Steel (Regina Pats), hard-working two-way players like Tyler Benson (Vancouver Giants), or a sniper like Connor McDavid’s linemate last year, Alex Debrincat (Erie Otters). Chiarelli could possibly pick up another defenceman with the pick and I’m thinking the likes of the level-headed Kale Clague (Brandon Wheat Kings), the hulking Logan Stanley (Windsor Spitfires), or the uber-intelligent Libor Hajek (Saskatoon Blades).
Then again Edmonton could very well do as they did last year and use it in a trade too. Who knows?
The Conclusion
The team trading Taylor Hall in this situation never wins. As I said earlier, he’s one of the best left wings in the game if not THE best left-wing. He’s finally maturing into the guy we’ve been waiting for and he’s staying healthy! The other thing is, scoring is hard enough with one of the best in the league, you can only imagine how much harder it would be without him.
Grabbing a handful of prospects and picks with Travis Hamonic or acquiring Hamonic with Strome or Nelson would definitely add to the scoring quandary as oppose to solving it but I guess with that said, it would add depth to a team that looks to be lacking in it not only at the NHL level but at the AHL level and it could open up the possibility of adding a high-ticket marquee defenseman.
What say you? At the cost of an amazing hockey player, would you try to shore up the holes in the Oilers roster so that the foundation of the team was stronger going forward? Let me know in the comments below!
