The Edmonton Oilers head into the 2016 NHL Entry Draft in a much different position than a year ago. Twelve months earlier, the team entered the draft with the number one pick and no doubt it was selecting franchise centre Connor McDavid.
This year, Edmonton has the fourth overall selection and what Oilers do with it is more uncertain.
After the draft lottery in late April, there was speculation Edmonton would trade the pick, possibly for a much-needed right-shot defenceman.
READ MORE: 4th pick in 2016 NHL Draft Lottery goes to Edmonton Oilers
But as the draft has drawn closer, the belief among some who cover the team is that general manager Peter Chiarelli will keep the pick.
“I think this is a pretty valuable pick. I mean Oilers’ fans have gotten used to the team picking first overall – there’s no better spot to be – but you can still get a pretty good player at the fourth overall slot,” Reid Wilkins, host of Oilers hockey on 630 CHED, said.
“Unless something knocks Chiarelli’s socks off at this point, I expect the Oilers are going to pick at number four.”
One of the primary reasons Edmonton could keep the fourth overall selection is the possibility of getting Matthew Tkachuk. The 18-year-old is a 6’1″, 200 lbs power forward Edmonton could certainly use, even if it’s not the team’s most pressing need.
Tkachuk is a left winger who has size, grit and offensive ability, and is largely considered the fourth ranked prospect in the draft. He had 107 points in 57 regular season games for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League last season and led the team to a Memorial Cup championship.
“He, down the road, would bring something to the Oilers that they’ve been lacking in their lineup, and that’s a real, legitimate power forward type player; a guy who can forecheck, a guy who can protect the puck and who scores his points by getting in front of the net and battling for position and battling for rebounds,” Wilkins said.
However, selecting Tkachuk won’t help Edmonton fill its largest hole, which is on defence. There has been speculation for months Chiarelli will have to deal one of his talented young forwards to address the issue.
“There’s three stages where something could happen: they do something at the draft by trading a player or draft pick to get a defenceman, or then they roll into free agency and get a guy, and then there’s still the potential of other trades in late June and early July,” Wilkins said.
Players like Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall have all been rumoured to be on the trading block, but it’s Hall who would most likely give Edmonton the best player in return.
“The question is: do the Oilers need to trade Taylor Hall to get a top defenceman? Well, they’ll get a good defenceman if they trade Taylor Hall. I just think there are…it won’t be one-for-one, Taylor Hall for a defenceman, if that’s what winds up happening,” Wilkins said.
The Oilers have five picks in the opening three rounds of the draft including the 32nd overall selection in the second round.
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