Edmonton Oilers: 2018 Mock Draft and Latest Trade Rumors
By Pelle
It’s draft day for the Edmonton Oilers and the rest of the National Hockey League. Will this team make some moves now or later on.
Edmonton Oilers: Happy NHL draft day everyone! This week is by far the best time of the year for me, aside from watching the Oilers dismantle the Flames or watching them in the playoffs. I want to discuss some of the trade rumblings leading up to tonight’s draft, and I’d also like to offer you my Oilers mock draft for all six picks.
I hope by the time this has been published that the Oilers haven’t pulled off any trades!
Wayne Simmonds, Erik Karlsson, and Colton Parayko are all the most recent names that have been thrown into the rumor mill alongside the Oilers, and I can’t see any of Philadelphia, Ottawa, or St.Louis being mad enough to trade these players. That being said, we are talking about Peter Chiarelli here.
More specific to Erik Karlsson, as far as I know, the Oilers are on his 10-team no-trade list. So scratch him. And let’s be honest, if you were Erik Karlsson and was going to sign a 7-year deal with a new team, would you instead be playing in Edmonton or New York? I get that Connor McDavid is in Edmonton but Henrik Lundqvist is in New York too, and Karlsson and his wife would own that city.
As for Simmonds, every year the Oilers (or more so their fans) are clambering for the Oilers to go out and trade for Wayne Simmonds. Much in the same way the begged for years for the Oilers to trade for Milan Lucic. Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t there an Eberle for Simmonds rumor going around a few years ago?
Other players
I don’t know if the Oilers are on Simmonds’ 12 team no-trade list or not but he’s a UFA at season’s end, and if the word out of Philly is that they might be looking to move him instead of re-signing him, I’d say wait it out.
For argument’s sake, Colton Parayko and Jaden Schwartz to the Oilers for Leon Draisaitl, Ethan Bear, and the 10th overall. Would you do it? Me neither. Leon Draisaitl is very good, but that’s a helluva drain on St.Louis’ talent reserves plus it not only weakens the Oilers down the middle, but it also creates a logjam on defense.
If Peter Chiarelli is looking to make a move that will save his job by the end of the year, he’s already been fired.
OILERS QUICK AND DIRTY MOCK DRAFT
10th overall: Evan Bouchard (D) – Bouchard has all of the tools necessary to be a dominant top-4 defender at the NHL level and could play for the Oilers next season if need be. ISS compares him to John Carlson.
40th overall: Niklas Nordgren (RW) – I like to call him the Finnish Debrincat. He’s got a fantastic release on his shot, outstanding hockey sense, and a tireless motor on him. He’s one of the smartest players in the draft and that for me is key to the Oilers drafting him. He’d light up the CHL if he came over to play in Canada.
71st overall: Jonathan Gruden (C) – 5’11” guy who plays like he’s 6’4″. Relentless on the forecheck. Excellent shot with a solid release and accuracy. Slated to play for Miami Univ. next season.
133rd overall: Joey Keane (D) – An effortless skater who is a zone entry/exit machine. A lesser version of Quinn Hughes in that regard.
164th overall: Pavel Gogolev (RW) – Highly skilled RWer for Peterborough of the OHL. Lovely skater, highly-effective shot, strong along the boards, and handles the puck well at pace. Not consistent though. Sounds like Slepyshev doesn’t he?
195th overall: Vojtech Kropacek (C) – Tall, well-built high-energy center who has an excellent ability to read the ice. Excellent playmaker and quite fast as well.
Have a great draft day folks! Follow me on Twitter @holtzpelle, and a friend of mine is hosting a LIVE podcast during the draft that you should check out too! Click here to check it out!