The Edmonton Oilers don't have much in the way of talent pushing up the pipeline from the Bakersfield Condors. They've consistently traded away 1st and 2nd round draft picks over the past six years or more, and looking ahead at this year and beyond, the draft pick cupboard is relatively empty.
Here's a quick look at the next few drafts:
2026: 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th
2027: 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th
2028: 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
2029: 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th
As we can see, the next two drafts are already unlikely to give the Oilers a player who makes an immediate NHL impact. That fact, along with Connor McDavid's age and contract term, tell us everything we need to know about how Edmonton needs to approach the NHL Draft.
Tomorrow is tomorrow's problem
Even if Oilers management drafts the best player available with every selection over the next 3-5 years, they will still be less likely to win a championship with that future roster than with their current one. These picks should be turned into NHL players at every opportunity. Vasily Podkolzin cost the Oilers a 4th round pick and he is stapled to the team's first line. That's the sort of trade the team needs to pursue.
Disgruntled players, mature players who haven't managed to find their opportunities on other clubs, even problems or projects with a potential upside. Throwing enough of those darts is the most likely strategy to add skill and depth the the NHL lineup.
It could also mean chipping in a pick here and there to offload overpaid or underperforming players, or to encourage salary retention on the other side of a deal. Oiler fans spent a previous decade in the darkness, prior to McDavid's arrival. They'll be there at the other end of the next rebuild as well, no matter how things end with this version of the team, but anyone will tell you, it's easier to go through watching a bad team play 82 games a season if you can look back on recent history and remember the big win.
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