1st round pick ends eventful day of trade speculation and signings for Oilers

Even with the game seven loss to the Florida Panthers still fresh in the mind, it's full steam ahead for the Edmonton Oilers organisation. And this was proven with a flurry of activity of Friday, ending with an unexpected draft pick.

The pick in question came at the end of the first round, as the Oilers drafted Sam O'Reilly with the 32nd overall selection. This came about after acquiring the pick, which ironically originally belonged to their Stanley Cup Final opponents, from the Philadelphia Flyers.

In return the Oilers gave the Flyers their first round pick for either next year or 2026, with certain conditions. As per TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the 2025 pick is top 12 protected, but if it goes to the 2026 pick, that one is unprotected; also, if the Oilers trade their 2026 pick, then the Flyers automatically get the 2025 selection.

Oilers think highly of O'Reilly

Going back to O'Reilly, whether he was a good pick or not by the Oilers, depends on how much stock you put into the vareity of scouting report rankings by hockey media outlets. For example, as per Elite Prospects, Bob McKenzie and Craig Button of TSN had him right around where he was selected, at 32nd and 35th respectively.

Similarly, Recruit Scouting had the 18-year-old at 31, while NHL Central Scouting had him ranked as the 24th-best North American skater. However, there were also plenty who didn't rate him quite so highly; for example, Sportsnet placed him 50th and the Daily Faceoff put him at 51st, while Elite Prospects themselves ranked him 48th.

Of course all that really matters in the grand scheme of things, is what the Oilers think of O'Reilly. In this respect, the fact they moved into position to draft him in the first round speaks volumes.

In fact, when speaking to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman after the selection, Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson said head scout Rick Pracey actually ranked O'Reilly even higher than where they picked him. Fans will of course be hoping this proves to be a good projection further down the road.

One of the most intriguing things about O'Reilly, is that he used to be a blue-liner before converting to forward, where he can play both as a centre and a winger. Given his background, this makes him an excellent two-way player.

Any concern about the Toronto native's ability to produce offensively was dismissed during this season with the London Knights. He ranked third among OHL rookies with 20 goals and 56 overall points, while also producing an excellent +32 rating. (He added another 12 points in 16 playoffs games, as the Knights eventually advanced to but ultimately lost the Memorial Cup Final.)

O'Reilly is strong and has intriguing size at 6 foot 1 and 183 pounds. The combination of his high hockey IQ, passing skills and work rate have him projected to be a decent bottom-six forward in the NHL.

When speaking to the media after being drafted, O'Reilly's voice sounded a bit shaky, but this just alluded to how much the moment meant to him. He said: "It's unreal. It's a dream come true and I couldn't be happier."

Pickard is coming back

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the draft pick concluded an eventful day for the Oilers and their fans. They also completed a couple of signings, with Calvin Pickard and Cam Dineen.

The extension for Pickard was the more important signing, after he came through to provide excellent backup to Stuart Skinner for the Oilers during the 2023-24 season. This included a couple of strong starts in the second round of the playoffs versus the Vancouver Canucks.

As per Cap Friendly, Pickard's deal is for two years and has an annual cap hit of $1 million. His extension all but confirms Jack Campbell will be leaving the Oilers organisation, whether it be via a trade or a buyout.

As for Dineen, the club announced on social media that he had signed a two-year, two-way contract extension with an annual average value of $775,000. The defenceman has become a key part of the Bakersfield Condors roster and, for what it's worth, he played 34 NHL games and produced seven points for the then-Arizona Coyotes during the 2021-22 season.

Kane set to leave?

Finally, we come to some speculation surrounding the future of the most polarising player on the Oilers roster. We are of course referring to Evander Kane.

According to The Oil Rig, trusted sources have told them a Kane trade is imminent, possibly even before July 1 when free agency begins. If true, it would be a shame to see a player leave, who has for the most part been a productive player and model citizen during his time in Edmonton.

Yes there's still been some headlines and controversies this season, although you can make the argument these were all much ado about nothing. Regardless, it seems like Kane's time with the Oilers is coming to an end.

The 32-year-old has two years left on his current deal, with an annual cap hit of $5.125 million. Given the combination of his age and price tag, the Oilers probably shouldn't expect too much in return, to get him off their books.

Overall, everything is set up for an interesting time in the coming days for the Oilers. Of immediate concern, they still have six picks left in this year's draft, including a second and fifth rounder, as well as two picks in both the sixth and seventh rounds.

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