Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Some good points, but think you over-state it a bit.
First, by only looking back to 1998, you miss the era where it was more common (early expansion). You also miss the biggest one - the Lindros trade, where I think everyone would agree that Quebec/Colorado won the trade.
As for needing a dance partner, that is an obvious requirement of any trade, but I think it is misleading to suggest that finding a trading partner would be more difficult in this type of trade (this is directed to other comments, not necessarily the quoted post). I think it is more the case that the team with the pick is leery of moving it - there are usually teams each year that express an interest in trading for it. What they would pay is obviously a factor, but nonetheless...
The team picking first is usually in more or less of a rebuilding position, so it makes sense that they would be reticent to trade the pick. However, the Oilers were in a different position last year (or at least should have been as they already had two 1st overalls and should have been looking more at organization needs).
One example of a possible trading partner would have been Pitt, who had the #8 pick. I would think they would be very interested in acquiring a pure goal scorer and, with multiple quality defensive prospects in their system, could afford to offer decent assets. A good D prospect, plus the #8 pick where they could have acquired one of Reilly, Reinhart or Trouba, depending on how the draft played out, would have made the basis for an excellent return for Edm IMO.
The point being that finding a trading partner for a trade involving the #1 pick is no different, and no more difficult, than finding a trading partner for any other major asset.
Which reminds me, not sure why you kept referring to trading for a current player since no one suggested that.
Anyway, whatever. I believe that the Oilers missed an opportunity that will lengthen their rebuild. But that is just my opinion of course.
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I do think you make a good and fair point. However, I do think that every team in the top 3 - 5 have multiple offers from other teams hoping to move up. I think the Oilers didn't move because they probably felt that the offers were not good enough.
Most scouts had Yakupov as their consensus pick, and most thought that he was quite a bit better than the 2nd pick. Perhaps some teams didn't think so, perhaps their offers were low because of the common view that Edmonton 'really shouldn't draft another winger' mindset, and thus would be cheaper for them to move up. Maybe it was the Russian factor as well (though I don't think it is much of a concern with Yakupov - I think his team would have to really drive him back to Russia for him to leave).
Though I did not want Feaster to trade down at all this past draft, it was nice to hear that apparently he was fielding many calls for that pick. It is also nice to hear that he tried to trade up. I don't think anyone offered Edmonton 3 first round picks for Yak - I like Yak, but he is definitely no MacKinnon.
I think this argument can only be really settled one day if ever it was disclosed what some of the offers were, and what Edmonton was looking for in exchange. I think a deal didn't get done because it just wasn't good enough.
Also, I don't think it was a mistake for Edmonton to draft Yakupov. I would rather have him than any defencemen picked thereafter (though development might change things in the future, of course). I think a better pick would indeed have been Galchenyuk, but Yakupov is definitely a very high-end prospect. I think he will shortly surpass Eberle and be Edmonton's future RW franchise player.
What the Oilers should have done is drafted Galchenyuk instead, but if not, drafted Yakupov and trade Eberle + Gagner for a high-end center prospect. Eberle had huge value at the time of the draft, and perhaps they could have ended up getting Galchenyuk + Yakupov at the same draft. Who knows. I just don't see it as a mistake that Edmonton drafted Yak at all - I hate him because he is an Oiler, but he is going to be an impact star for that team.