On the Edmonton Oilers …
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal: Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli was on CHED radio talking about the draft lottery and the Oilers falling down to No. 4. Though disappointed, Chiarelli added that
“in that next cluster of players there’s some nice, big forwards, wings and centres, and there’s like three really solid defenceman…If we choose to move it and/or move down or move the pick, if we move down we’re going to get a really good player. So the options are still available.”
Host Reid Wilkins brought up – with the talent that could be available at No. 4, it might be tough to move the pick.
“No, no it’s not,” Chiarelli responded. “There’s some other big forwards further down, some bigger forwards, and then there’s some really good D. There’s a group of seven or eight guys, it wouldn’t surprise me if any of those guys went four. It depends on needs.”
Chiarelli on moving the pick.
“There’s a real legitimate chance to look to move this pick, to improve our team — to get bigger or to get a D and get something else. There’s also a chance, as I said in my previous comments, that we could move the pick to get an AHL (NHL?) defenceman, too. That is a top four defenceman. We’re going to look at a lot of different things.”
On the Vancouver Canucks …
Thomas Drance of Sportsnet: The Canucks will draft 5th overall this year. Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, and Jesse Puljujärvi will likely be the top three picks. The Oilers have options at No. 4 – to keep the pick or to trade it.
The Canucks will have some good options at No. 5 – forwards Pierre-Luc Dubois and Matthew Tkachuk. It’s believed they like defenseman Olli Juolevi, but Jake Bean, Jakob Chychrun, Charles McAvoy and Mikhail Sergachev are also high-end prospects.
“The top three guys will probably get you the instant (gratification) this fall,” Linden told a Vancouver radio station following the lottery. “But we’re at five and we’re going to get a really good player. We might have to wait a year or two, but nonetheless, it’s a marathon and not a sprint…”
