The Edmonton Oilers have some fine young talent and should be able to add another name early in the 2007 Entry Draft. It was confirmed today that the Oilers will pick 6th overall this summer and should get a quality forward who should one day skate alongside Ales Hemsky, Raffi Torres (in photo), Jarret Stoll and others.The Oilers should get a solid prospect at 6, but unless they trade up are unlikely to get any of these players:
1. Jakub Voracek: He's 6-14-20 in 9 playoff games and leading the QMJHL post-season scoring race. He has been edging up all season and with Chicago getting #1 pick I'd say you can stamp Voracek as the cream of the crop. August '89 birth is also a nice addition to the resume (he's 9 mo. younger than Kane).
2. Patrick Kane: He's tied for 5th in OHL playoff scoring right now, going 7-9-16 in 7gp. His teammate Sam Gagner leads the OHL with 18 points but everything I've read has Kane being the better player. It's possible we're about to see a Billy Harris/Steve Shutt draft with these two but it won't affect the Oilers much because the Nov/88 Kane will be gone by 6th.
3. Alexei Cherepanov: He's kind of the wild card in this draft because the numbers (and the league he plays in) imply this fellow is probably better than Kane and close to Voracek (or at least was until Voracek's kick when in the final stanza). 18 goals in the RSL for Jan/89 winger.
4. Kyle Turris: Exceptional young talent is the one player I can see Kevin Lowe trading up to select. Terrific talent who is headed for college (and that's another cue for Oilers fans). Aug/89 birthdate.
5. James vanRiemsdyk: April 89 birthdate. When in doubt take the big man, and at 6-3 190 this kid has it. He was good at 16 (Redline had a lock on him when he weighed 170 at Brick HS) and seems to be improving at a nice pace.
These are the names likely to be gone by the Oilers pick at 6.
LT - I know we're overlooking the young Dman - Alzner, is it? I've read some good things about him - do you think the Caps or Kings might take him? I believe in drafting the best player available myself but if a team needs a Dman is he an attractive enough prospect to pass over any of these other fellows?
ReplyDeleteAlso, Philly strikes me as being the team at the bottom most likely to turn it around - with some youngsters already in place, a lot of cap space and a pretty intense fan base, can you see them as a candidate to trade down for a guy who can help them now?
Or am I just hoping and wishing and dreaming and hoping ...
What to do Kevin Lowe, what to do? Do you decide that 6th is good enough to pick, or do you package up some talent and go after the big-time prospects? A 6th overall pick will more than likely get us a forward like VanRiemsdyk or Couture, or if Lowe decides there's enough offensive prospects in the talent pool, he goes after the best available defenceman in a weak draft year in Karl Alzner. Personally, Alzner looks like a keeper at 6th overall for a team that has nothing in terms of top-pairing prospects. If Edmonton decides to peg this year for a rebuild, and goes into the season looking to draft Steve Stamkos next year, Alzner should be the guy.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, wouldn't it be lovely to trade up for once and take a shot at Voracek or Turris in the # 1 or 2 spot? Chicago wants a top-scoring center to play with Havlat i believe...they might entertain an offer of our 6th pick and Rob Schremp for their 1st. Is Vorecek worth Schremp?
Oil Pick
ReplyDeleteCouture
Island Pick
Plante
Duck Pick
Ruzicka
Just guessing.
What the Hell do I know?
The way I see it, we'll be in good shape to get one of the top forwards if someone before us drafts Alzner. It should be interesting to see how things breakdown. With the Isles' pick we're out of the 11-13 range now, meaning there's a pretty significant dropoff and less likelihood of Esposito being around. Angelo (he speaks Italian so I'm wondering if his name is actually the Italian pronunciation "Anhelo") is a player who I think has unfairly been characterized and subsequently has seen his stock fall. I really would like him to fall to us or even see Lowe deal Anaheim's pick to move the Isles' pick up a bit, maybe right into the range where we picked Hemsky. ;)
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention something in regards to some of the comments about Alzner. From what I've read, most sources don't have him pegged to have that top-pairing potential. For the most part, he's viewed as a safe pick to top out as a very good top 4 defender, which to me sounds like a lot of the defensive prospects we already have.
ReplyDeleteI don't like drafting dmen so count me out on the Alzner thing. Let someone else develop them. It's interesting that Alzner and Ellerby are also late birthdays. I can't decide if that's a good thing or not.
ReplyDeleteHow about this Couture kid? He sounds pretty damn good. The only thing I've read that I don't like is he's got a March birthday. Of course at least he's still an '89 kid so maybe that doesn't matter much.
Sure there's Gagner too, but does the whole Schremp thing scare anybody? Both of these players played with some pretty good London Knights and it's hard to tell who's stirring the drink. Especially when you've never seen the SOBs. ;) Didn't Gagner play on a line with the #1 (Kane) and #3 (Kostitsyn) OHL scoring leaders?
If they keep the NYI pick, I do like what I've read about Joakim Andersson.
If those 5 are gone imo it will be a decision between Couture, Gagner and Esposito. Under Prendergast (since 2001) the Oilers have spent their first round picks on players from:
ReplyDeleteQMJHL: 2
WHL: 1
OHL: 1
Fin Jr: 1
OPJHL: 1
My guess would be Couture.
I'm gonna agree with Riversq on Gagner. Based on the way the Knights Alumni have needed sheltering, and seem to have never learned to play defense, Sam Gagner should be avoided, the same can probably be said for Kane. If you look at the majority of London graduates in the past few years (Perry, Schremp, Syvret) who have been prolific scorers on the Knights, they're having trouble adjusting to the NHL game. Schremp needed an entire season in the Minors, and will probably need another in Springfield before he can play adequately in his own end to see top-9 icetime. Perry plays on probably the most sheltered line in the Western Conference with Getzlaf and Penner. Syvret is going to max out as a top-6 D-man. Haven't heard too much on David Bolland in the Chicago system, but he might wind up in the same boat. Similarly, the Kostitsin brothers in Montreal's system may have some trouble playing in their own zone. Hell, even Rick Nash still doesn't seem to get it most nights that he has to back-check. Seems something's a little fishy in London...
ReplyDeleteCOUTURE COUTURE COUTURE COUTURE!!!!!!
ReplyDelete(Sorry)
Seriously I love this. Please let him be there (he likely will be) and please let the Oilers not get sucked into a first round D or another big stiff.
Honestly I'm sure all the other guys are terrific, but Couture fits the Mac T model perfectly and is outstanding.
If he turns out to be a bust it's my credibility out the window, but man if the stars align and we get him I'd be thrilled.
ReplyDeleteIf CHI wants centers - we have them in spades - and I would deal Schremp, the #6 and even the ANA pick to move up for Vorocek. Lowe has no excuses to not move up this summer.......
ReplyDeleteListening to Lowe's presser yesterday afternoon, it seemed very obvious that though they'll be going into the draft with 3 1st round picks, don't be surprised if the only one they actually end up using is that 6th overall.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get the impression they'll be using the other two picks in an attempt to move up, either.
I'm fine with Couture, but IMO Gagner's getting sold a little short here. He's a tremendous offensive talent, and no booby prize at #6.
Asia... that's an awful lot to give up when this guy is hardly a consensus number 1 and you can get an elite talent in Couture without giving up assets.
ReplyDeleteWhat about not using the damn pick and bundling it off for that number one d-man everyone keeps saying we need? Or is everyone but me resigned to sucking for the next 3 to 5 years?
ReplyDeleteI think most of us assume its Torres, Lupul, one of the non-Smid young dmen, the Islanders pick, the Duck pick and the whack of prospects we have that are out the door in return for a defenseman presuming we can't sign one.
ReplyDeletelittlefury: I don't know if I'd give up our draft pick in this years' draft. After all the work that the Oilers have managed to put into sucking this season, it would be nice to know that there's a cherry (pun not intentional) out there for us somewhere.
ReplyDeleteOur first pick isn't going to have a lot of fanfare methinks. There are guys like Cherepanov, Turris, Kane, Voracek, Alzner, VanRiemsdyk that you all expect to go top 6 and it's likely we'll end up taking one of those players.
The interesting portion of this draft comes in the Islander/Anaheim picks as they are much less pinned down.
I read on HF somewhere that they'd be disappointed in picking Alzner. Why? Even if all we end up is a Chris Phillips, how is that a bad thing? I'd say Phillips is pretty freaking valuable to Ottawa.
I'd like to hear some of your guys' selections for our later picks. There's probably going to be quite the variation there.
Its hard to tell on the later picks whom is going to be there. With the Islanders pick I like Joakim Andersson if he's there, he looks like he could be a good solid player. I've also heard good things about the defensemen in that range Plante, Shatterkirk, Petricki, and Ellerby if he falls a few places.
ReplyDeleteWith the Ducks pick, I'd probably try to pick of Ruzicka. That late in the first round, a bit of a gamble is generally a good idea. You can pick up "safe" players earlierso you might as well roll the dice on a boom or bust pick. Backlund would be another guy to possibly draft around here.
I'd prefer the Oilers draft forwards as opposed to defensemen at this point simply because it seems like for the foreseable future we have plenty of young defensemen whose growing pains we have to deal with. I wouldn't be upset if they exercised one out of 3 picks on a defensemen provided they keep them all. However, if it were up to me which thankfully its not I'd probably look more at drafting d in the second round and trying to find an impact forward with three tosses in the first round.
I really haven't read a whole lot about this year's draft prospects and I must admit it's something I've never gotten into. The Oilers have enough balls in the air this spring that I should really take a look at it and I guess I'll start going over a few links once the first round of the playoffs are over.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't know where to begin, though, but there are some good points here
- I wouldn't take a dman in the first round unless he's gonna be here quick and he's surefire. We;ve got enough of our own snotnoses to develop as it is. I think that's the main thing I can agree with.