2018 NHL Draft: The Oilers Top Three First Round Targets

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PLYMOUTH, MI – FEBRUARY 14: Jesperi Kotkaniemi #28 of the Finland Nationals skates up ice with the puck against the Russian Nationals during the 2018 Under-18 Five Nations Tournament game at USA Hockey Arena on February 14, 2018 in Plymouth, Michigan. Russia defeated Finland 4-0. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images)*** Local Caption *** Jesperi Kotkaniemi /

We’ll be tackling what players the Edmonton Oilers might pick in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft in a few weeks.

Edmonton Oilers: The NHL entry draft is under three weeks away and the now that the draft combine in Buffalo has concluded, we’re starting to hear more specifics with regards to which players the teams are looking at more specifically.

After being in Buffalo this week I could see the top 8 looking like this:

1. Dahlin
2. Svechnikov
3. Zadina
4. Dobson
5. Tkachuk
6. Kotkaniemi
7. Bouchard
8. Wahlstrom

This leaves Hughes, Smith and Boqvist in the Oilers range.
Kotkaniemi rising, Boqvist might be sliding
— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) June 3, 2018

Personally, I think it would be foolish for any team ahead of the Oilers in the draft (#1-9) to skip drafting Quinn Hughes or Adam Boqvist. These are two players with elite skills on the offensive side of the puck, and now there are rumblings that teams might not pick them because their defensive games are lacking.

Well, that’s just ignorant in my opinion. When you have players with the skill sets that Boqvist and Hughes have, you take them and work on the other aspects of their games that might be lacking. A defense can be taught, high-end hockey IQ and offense cannot.

But the fact of the matter might be that there are teams that still value size over skill.

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