The 2013 NHL entry draft was supposed to be one that saw the Edmonton Oilers move into the next stage of their rebuild. One that would see the Oilers go ‘bold’ and begin to add the right pieces to the team’s core. Craig MacTavish mentioned that the team could move a second round pick for an immediate player, and he talked about how it was time to add something to help this roster.
What he ended up doing looked more like something right out of Steve Tambellini’s book rather than the new and bold Craig MacTavish’s book. The Oilers saw guys that could have helped like Cal Clutterbuck and Dave Bolland go to other teams on pretty fair prices. When the draft was all said and done, the Oilers walked out of there with no players that can help this roster in the next two years. For a team like Edmonton, that just isn’t acceptable.
The Oilers selected Darnell Nurse 7th overall, in what was a pretty interesting pick. Nurse is going to be an NHL defender, I’m pretty confident in that. He has the ability to be a solid defender down the road, but I’d assume he is two, maybe three years away from the big show. That being said, I think he has the potential to be a really solid NHL player and help this team big time in a few seasons.
The thing is though, big Russian power-forward Valeri Nichushkin was on the board when the Oilers picked. For a team that desperately needs a top six power forward, passing on Valeri is a pretty odd move, and one that left me scratching my head. While I like Nurse, I think Nichushkin would have been the better pick for Edmonton.
Moving on from that, I thought overall Edmonton made some pretty solid picks. Marc-Olivier Roy has the potential to be a solid player down the road if Edmonton let’s him develop. I like Greg Chase too, as he has a real ability to be an agitator and bottom six presence down the road.
Also a fan of the Kyle Platzer and Bogdan Yakimov picks, as I think both, especially Yakimov, have solid potential to work out for the Oilers.
Draft pick wise, it was a solid day for the Oilers. They moved around a little bit to restock the pick arsenal after Steve Tambellini depleted it this past season. They added a few players with potential, and at least three guys I see as having a good shot at the NHL down the road. Not bad.
Where the Oilers went wrong however, was in the transaction department. We have heard for a while now how MacT was going to try and add some immediate help to this team, and get quick and significant change with this roster. Eight or nine new faces right? Not to mention, MacT said it would be a disappointment if they didn’t walk out of NJ with at least one or two roster players. Well, put the disappointed face on friends.
MacT and the Oilers really dropped the ball here.
Why? Well Dave Bolland went for a 2nd and two fourth round picks, a price Edmonton easily could have paid. Cal Clutterbuck and a pick went for young forward Nino Niederreiter, who hasn’t proven anything at the NHL level to this point. Both guys could have filled major holes in Edmonton.
The Oilers to do list was something we talked about in depth earlier this week, and right at the top of that list was a top four defender. MacTavish tried to nab Brayden Coburn, and was visibly upset when nothing materialized there after a lot of talking with Paul Holmgren.
Low and be hold, Edmonton really wasn’t in on any other defenders on the market and comes away with their blue-line still a mess of bottom pairing depth players and young guys.
The Oilers failure to add anything to help their NHL club could be two different things. It could simply be that nothing was there that Edmonton liked, and they think the offers will be better and more will be available moving towards free agency, or the Steve Tambellini and Kevin Lowe eras are still alive and well.
There will be moves for the Oilers over the next week and a half, there is little doubt in that. Will those bold moves MacTavish spoke about actually happen, and will the Oilers improve in the areas they need to this off-season, or was all that good talk just that, good talk with no backing? We’ll find out, and we’ll find out relatively soon.
Free agency goes Friday, and the Oilers will need to get right back to work on Monday to work this out. They added some nice parts for the future today, but for the present? Things still look ‘meh’ for 2013/14.
Are Oilers fans overreacting, or is it the same old song and dance in Edmonton? We’ll find out real soon.
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