Edmonton wins draft lottery

[Hockey Widow]

Yep, they get to pick first again.

[Tanti09]

Horseshoes. But it may turn out to be a negative. Their forward core is so young and talented, but where they really need help is on defense. If they're smart they should either trade down a notch or two or trade to a team who needs a young budding superstar in Yakupov (obviously jury still out on him) and get a solid veteran or two in return to mentor the kids already there.

[Island Nucklehead]

Yakupov, RNH, Hall and Eberle is a pretty nasty forward group to build around.

Still no goalie. Still no D.

Regardless, that's quite the reward for being such a terrible franchise over the past couple seasons. How long before Tambellini gets the axe??

Hall and Eberle are RFA after next season...

[porp]

Hall and Eberle are RFA after next season...

Which make them prime trade bait for an intelligent veteran dman, or young promising stud dmen.

Whether having a bushel of highly skilled offensive players will get a team anywhere, I guess that depends on the refereeing and the kind of adjudication that head office wants.

Edmonton looks like its the smallest seating capacity of stadiums that were sold out for the entire season (according to EPSN stats) so maybe NHL head office might not screw them over? Hopefully, someone making decisions are sentimentalists and tighten down on rules that let offensive players thrive.

Would love to see a good skilled Vancouver/Edmonton series with emotion, although by the time that happens, Vancouver might well be on the underdog end regarding current star players.

[RoyalDude]

Unfuckenbelievable. Yakupov was the only sure thing in the top end of the draft. Sort of like Pavel Bure-lite. Not what we wanted. Yakupov, Hall, RNH and Eberle? Fuckin hell. Talk about a nice group of young forwards to build around. In a few years, the Oilers will be bitch slapping us on the scoreboard. But that's OK, we have Kassian to build around

[CFP!]

Suddenly Tabellini leaving Vancity was an obvious choice.

[dbr]

Unfuckenbelievable. Yakupov was the only sure thing in the top end of the draft. Sort of like Pavel Bure-lite. Not what we wanted. Yakupov, Hall, RNH and Eberle? Fuckin hell. Talk about a nice group of young forwards to build around. In a few years, the Oilers will be bitch slapping us on the scoreboard. But that's OK, we have Kassian to build around

They are about seven or eight shrewd moves away from making noise in the Western Conference; has Tambellini made even one such move in his tenure so far?

[Benjo]

i have serious doubts Hall is going to play much longer in the NHL, he is basically a kamikaze on the ice.

[Fred]

I think they'll trade down for a lower pick and pick up a Vet...maybe 2 and then draft a young D as well. If MG wants to be in the game he has to make a couple of moves to leap frog a few places at a time...from 30th assuming we win the SC up to maybe 20th and then up to 5-10th

[CFP!]

Unfuckenbelievable. Yakupov was the only sure thing in the top end of the draft. Sort of like Pavel Bure-lite. Not what we wanted. Yakupov, Hall, RNH and Eberle? Fuckin hell. Talk about a nice group of young forwards to build around. In a few years, the Oilers will be bitch slapping us on the scoreboard. But that's OK, we have Kassian to build around

They are about seven or eight shrewd moves away from making noise in the Western Conference; has Tambellini made even one such move in his tenure so far?

Schultz FTW!

[darren]

In a few years, the Oilers will be bitch slapping us on the scoreboard. But that's OK, we have Kassian to build around

If only we were bad enough to draft first three years in a row.

[Arachnid]

Unfuckenbelievable. Yakupov was the only sure thing in the top end of the draft. Sort of like Pavel Bure-lite. Not what we wanted. Yakupov, Hall, RNH and Eberle? Fuckin hell. Talk about a nice group of young forwards to build around. In a few years, the Oilers will be bitch slapping us on the scoreboard. But that's OK, we have Kassian to build around

Yeah they look awesome but, history shows they cannot sign them all and will lose them to RFA or UFA...small market team, farm team for the rest of us...um...them...

I thought we were building around MAGs...oh well, we can suck for 5 years and draft 3 1sts too then...all part of 'the plan' don't cha' know...

[Topper]

i have serious doubts Hall is going to play much longer in the NHL, he is basically a kamikaze on the ice.

The same was said about Ryan Kesler.

[tantalum]

i have serious doubts Hall is going to play much longer in the NHL, he is basically a kamikaze on the ice.

The same was said about Ryan Kesler.

But Hall is actually already missing significant time with injuries and Kesler's style has contributed to his injury issues at the end of the year the last few years in the playoffs.

[Benjo]

i have serious doubts Hall is going to play much longer in the NHL, he is basically a kamikaze on the ice.

The same was said about Ryan Kesler.

I could definitely agree with the Kesler/Hall comparison in regards to recklessness. I do think Hall takes it to another level and is reckless with a head in the sand style like both of the Lindros'. At least Kesler has an idea of what is coming and can brace himself unlike Hall who must think he's Gretzky because he never seems to have any idea he is about to be levelled into next week.