Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: believes the odds are high that the Edmonton Oilers trade their first-round pick – No. 10 overall – as whichever defenseman they would have drafted won’t be NHL ready for another two or three years. Ty Smith or Noah Dobson could be options a No. 10.
The Oilers need immediate offense from their backend, and no, the Oilers don’t have the pieces for Senators Erik Karlsson.
“A player at No. 9 or No. 10 isn’t going to play next year,” Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli said recently. “We’ll certainly listen to offers, and if there is a trade, it would probably be on the draft floor.”
Ideally, the Oilers would trade the first-round pick for a right-handed defenseman, someone with an offensive upside over the defensive side of things.
Do they package the 10th pick and young prospect, or try to move Jesse Puljujarvi in a straight up deal, or move left-handed defenseman Oscar Klefbom?
Would the Carolina Hurricanes consider moving defenseman Justin Faulk for the No. 10 pick if the Oilers included someone with size like Jujhar Khaira? Or would new GM Rick Dudley be more interested in Puljujarvi?
Would the St. Louis Blues be interested moving Colton Parayko for the No. 10 pick and Adam Larsson?
Would the Colorado Avalanche and/or Oilers be interested in a Tyson Barrie for Klefbom swap?
The Vegas Golden Knights traded their first-round pick for Tomas Tatar at the deadline, would they be interested in moving Colin Miller?
TSN’s Craig Button thinks it’s possible, but it might take more than just the No. 10 pick.
“It’s plausible but they don’t have a lot of defencemen in their organization to give up one,” said Button. “Miller is manageable in Vegas because of his salary to re-sign him. They don’t have a first-rounder this year, but they’d have to really like the player at No. 10, and I think the Oilers would have to deal them somebody like (Matt) Benning, too.”
Though a long shot, would the Anaheim Ducks be interested in moving Brandon Montour for Jesse Puljujarvi?
Flyers Travis Sandheim or Ducks Jacob Larsson for No. 10?
“Ideally, what you’d like to get is a defenceman who’s farther along (than a draft pick). Sanheim and Larsson are ready to play right now, and the Flyers and Ducks are deep on the blue-line,” said Button. “I know both shoot left, but you can’t fix your team in one fell swoop.
“Ideally, you’d like a right-shot guy, but I don’t know where they are.”
