- Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: Matheson thinks that if the Edmonton Oilers win the draft lottery this year, they should offer the No. 1 pick to the Arizona Coyotes for defensman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Oilers would get their No. 1 defenseman and the Coyotes would get their No. 1 center.The Oilers could look to move their pick if it’s in the top three. Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrik Laine are wingers, and the Oilers don’t really need any more wingers or forwards. The Oilers need a “ready-made, top-drawer defenceman.”If the Oilers pick a No. 4, they could take defenseman Jakob Chychrun, but the Oilers need help on the blueline right now. They need someone in the 24-28 year range, someone around the same age range as some of their core players (mentions Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins).
Craig Button on the Oilers.
“If the Oilers pick first, trade the pick, open it up to 29 other teams,” said Button. “You win the lottery, and you leverage Matthews.
“If you’re the owners of the Arizona Coyotes, you want an attraction.”
“The Oilers have to get focused in on a good, young defenceman,” Button continued. “With the players (forwards) the Oilers have, they need a defenceman in the 24-28, 23-27-year range, somebody to give that team a thrust. And they’d still have (Darnell) Nurse and (Oscar) Klefbom”
Travis Hamonic and Kevin Shattenkirk are said to be available, but not for the first overall pick. Maybe the 3rd overall for one of Hamonic or Shattenkirk and swapping first round picks.
Again, if the Oilers win the lottery, Matheson wonders if the Sabres would trade Rasmus Ristolainen and another defenseman for Auston Matthews? Would the Flyers trade prospect Ivan Provorov and something else (Wayne Simmonds?) for Matthews?
- One GM said that “Yes, it’s a red flag” with regards to Jonathan Drouin refusing to play in the AHL game on Wednesday.
- Sources saying the Oilers were interested in Russian center Vladimir Kamenev, but the Predators aren’t interested in trading him.