Adding More Depth For The Future

Heading into last night’s 2015 NHL Entry Draft, it was a foregone conclusion who the Edmonton Oilers would be selecting with the first overall pick. Calling out the name of Connor McDavid was not only predictable but also the easy part of the evening for Peter Chiarelli. While the Oilers general manager was a fairly busy man, throwing his hat in the ring on more than a few potential trade fronts, it was the deal he made that ultimately took many  by surprise.

Staying Put

 

When it comes to the NHL rumour mill there are few teams that are mentioned as often as the. Now considering we are talking about a franchise that has missed the playoffs for nine consecutive seasons, no one should be overly surprised to hear their inclusion in so many trade scenarios.

Potential Off-Season Target - Cody Franson

Despite coming off what can only be described as a disappointing finish to his 2014-15 campaign, Cody Franson will still be a highly sought after commodity in this summer’s UFA market. At 27 years of age and entering what should be the prime years of his career, Franson can count on receiving a fairly substantial hike in pay from his $3.3 million salary from a season ago.

Draft Day Targets - Ilya Samsonov

Since 1981, the Edmonton Oilers have drafted a grand total two goaltenders who have gone on to see regular duty as an NHL starter. One happens to be a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Grant Fuhr and the other, ironically enough, is none other than Devan Dubnyk.

Time's Up

From a timing standpoint, last night’s announcement that the Edmonton Oilers had decided to part ways with Director of Amateur Scouting Stu MacGregor and Head Pro Scout Morey Gare caught almost everyone off guard. While no one could have been overly surprised with the decision, most were expecting the hammer to fall following the 2015 Entry Draft and not prior to.

Impressive But Still Not Enough

In this day in age, it is rare for teams in any of the major North American sports to string together multiple titles over an extended period time. Not surprisingly, when it actually occurs, many find it difficult to not start throwing around the word “dynasty”. In a league which has had its share of memorable reigns over its storied history, what the Chicago Blackhawks have done is simply not enough to elevate them to the status of those wonderful sides of yesteryear.