Should The Edmonton Oilers Trade Their First-Round Pick?

Does It make sense for the Oilers?

Ehlers is a player who has flirted with a 30 goal scoring pace in his last three consecutive seasons and has hit over 60 points twice in his four seasons as an NHL’er. On the ice his speed is mesmerizing, and when he’s at the top of his game, there’s no doubt that his skating makes him one of the most explosive players in the NHL.

His one knock could be his inconsistency throughout the season, but the bottom line is that he is a young top-six forward who will get you 60 points in 82 games and can play with skilled players. I don’t think anything outlines a filled need more than Ehlers would for the Edmonton Oilers.

But should the team step away from the podium on June 21 to acquire him? I think yes. The team would probably have to add-on a significant prospect as well, and even then this is still a move the team should be making at this point.

There is no denying that there are some unbelievable players that will be on the board at 8, players that may end up being better than Ehlers. But this is a team that has to start winning some games, and they cannot afford to strike out on this pick.

Like I mentioned in my article outlining the reasons a Jesse Puljujarvi trade should be considered, only 54% of top 10 picks in the NHL Entry Draft have turned into top 6 forwards or top 4 D between 1990 and 2013. (calculated using data provided from Scott Cullens Statistically Speaking article written in June 2017)

With the growth of the game, in particular in the United States, we should expect that number to have grown since then. But this still is not a risk the Oilers can afford to take right now. Sure they could hit a home run and draft the next Mikko Rantanen or Timo Meier — but they could also end up taking another project piece which we don’t see for three years, or maybe never pans out.

Trading for Ehlers would give them certainty, and an electrifying skater who fits perfectly into the age bracket of the Oilers core. No brainer to go all in on him unless there is a player they like on the board.

Now for the part that most of us would like to overlook when talking about potential Oiler trade scenarios… would the Winnipeg Jets want any part of this deal?