[Rumour] Buffalo's and Florida's 1st round picks are in play

[SuperMatt18]

Oilers Draft Strategy is to take who is on the cover of THN's draft preview.



Going to be an issue this year because with no consensus number 1 they put all 4 players on the cover. Oilers will probably go up and just announce all 4 of them as their draft pick.

[sureLoss]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/f...,7972040.story

The source also said that if the Panthers don't like any of the many offers they're fielding from other teams regarding their overall No. 1 draft pick, then they're leaning toward selecting 6-foot-3, 218-pound defenseman Aaron Ekblad because he's considered the most NHL-ready of the projected top four prospects.

"Ekblad is this year's player most likely ready to step in and play in the NHL,'' Scott Luce, the Panthers director of scouting, told the Sun Sentinel last week. "He's physically mature and has got lots of mileage underneath him at the OHL level.''

[sureLoss]

Don't forget the reports that Oilers scouting staff had ranked Murray #1, but someone up higher overruled them to take Yakupov.

[19Yzerman19]

I feel like if all they or the Sabres are doing is trading down 5-8 spots, they should be able to find an offer that suits them... it should not take a franchise-changing piece to jump up those few places. People seem to overvalue the top 3 picks relative to 5-8; it depends on the player you'll end up getting and this isn't the strongest draft class at the top.

[Day Tripper]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Don't forget the reports that Oilers scouting staff had ranked Murray #1, but someone up higher overruled them to take Yakupov.

Yeah, this guy:

[BurningSteel]

Originally Posted by Day Tripper

Yeah, this guy:

Seeing as it's Edmonton, which one of these 2??

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by BurningSteel

Seeing as it's Edmonton, which one of these 2??

The kid from Bad Santa?

[nik-]

Originally Posted by BurningSteel

Seeing as it's Edmonton, which one of these 2??

Well ... it's Edmonton, so daddy let son pick the toy.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Oilers Draft Strategy is to take who is on the cover of THN's draft preview.



Going to be an issue this year because with no consensus number 1 they put all 4 players on the cover. Oilers will probably go up and just announce all 4 of them as their draft pick.

Dammit, I have been scowering the internet for Yakupov cover pages to make this exact joke. SUUUPPPERRMATTTT!

[terminator]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Dammit, I have been scowering the internet for Yakupov cover pages to make this exact joke. SUUUPPPERRMATTTT!

All Matt's think alike.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Going to be an issue this year because with no consensus number 1 they put all 4 players on the cover. Oilers will probably go up and just announce all 4 of them as their draft pick.

I can just imagine, "with the 3rd overall pick, the Oilers are proud to select Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl".

[#-3]

Originally Posted by codynw

I can just imagine, "with the 3rd overall pick, the Oilers are proud to select Aaron Ekblad, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Leon Draisaitl".

Buttman walks up behind McT clears his throat and say "Craig you can only make one pick, and please remember Aaron and Sam are already gone". Dumbfound the Oilers run the clock out forfeiting their pick.

[ForeverFlameFan]

"I guess we'll take the German guy... This magazine is so misleading."

[Coach]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

"I guess we'll take the German guy... This magazine is so misleading."

Panics and quickly flips through the magazine.

"We'll take Sam Bennet"

"He's already gone"

"But... In here it says he's number 3..."

"Buffalo took him at #2"

"Idiots." *Lowe whispers in his ear with an audible "Vipa!" at the end. "We'll take Ryan MacInnis - His Dad played in the NHL -- " *Leans to Lowe* "--Right?"

[FAN]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I don't know that I would agree that Yakupov was the consensus BPA. That draft seemed to have a lot of disagreement in terms of who teams would take at the top. Some teams liked Murray, others Galchenyuk, and even the Leafs are on record saying Reilly was #1 for them.

Yakupov was far from a consensus #1.

I disagree. Yakupov was the consensus BPA (the proof for Edmonton was that he was on THN's draft guide cover). Really he was considered the consensus #1 pick from pretty much start to finish in his draft year. At the end, THN, ISS, RLR McKeens, Mckenzie, FC, and I am sure other draft guides has Yakupov as #1. Ryan Murray was never really in contention for the #1 pick and he was even battling other defensemen for consensus top defensemen honors. Murray managed to be #2 partly because he was one of the few who managed to stay healthy and partly because he was such a smart defender he was a safest bet out there to end up being a 1st pairing defensemen but he wasn't considered a future superstar franchise type. Galchenyuk was to Yakupov as Malkin was to Ovechkin. Both Malkin and Galchenyuk were centers who were some believed were the most talented player in the draft and potentially the best player in the draft but they suffered injuries in their draft years that made them less "accomplished" than the guy who went #1.

As for the Leafs taking Reilly at #1. I don't believe it for one second. I think they would have traded down to get him. I am saying this having ranked Reilly higher than Murray if I was picking due to Reilly's offensive upside.

A lot of people here like to bash the Oilers for selecting the consensus #1 pick, but I think most teams would either trade down or take whom they picked. Heck, even the old Nordiques took Lindros when who they really needed was Niedermayer.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by FAN

A lot of people here like to bash the Oilers for selecting the consensus #1 pick...

The Yakupov pick was terrible - they should be bashed endlessly for it.
I could care less if he was consensus top pick or not. Properly managing that pick wouldn't have turned that crap franchise around, but it might have stopped the leaking so at least the ship didn't sink. One could give them a pass if it was their first 1st ov pick, but it was their 3rd in a row at number one.
An outstanding epic fail, even for them.

[Yrebmi]

Originally Posted by FAN

I disagree. Yakupov was the consensus BPA (the proof for Edmonton was that he was on THN's draft guide cover). Really he was considered the consensus #1 pick from pretty much start to finish in his draft year. At the end, THN, ISS, RLR McKeens, Mckenzie, FC, and I am sure other draft guides has Yakupov as #1. Ryan Murray was never really in contention for the #1 pick and he was even battling other defensemen for consensus top defensemen honors. Murray managed to be #2 partly because he was one of the few who managed to stay healthy and partly because he was such a smart defender he was a safest bet out there to end up being a 1st pairing defensemen but he wasn't considered a future superstar franchise type. Galchenyuk was to Yakupov as Malkin was to Ovechkin. Both Malkin and Galchenyuk were centers who were some believed were the most talented player in the draft and potentially the best player in the draft but they suffered injuries in their draft years that made them less "accomplished" than the guy who went #1.

As for the Leafs taking Reilly at #1. I don't believe it for one second. I think they would have traded down to get him. I am saying this having ranked Reilly higher than Murray if I was picking due to Reilly's offensive upside.

A lot of people here like to bash the Oilers for selecting the consensus #1 pick, but I think most teams would either trade down or take whom they picked. Heck, even the old Nordiques took Lindros when who they really needed was Niedermayer.

Then Edmonton should have indeed traded that pick. I don't recall anyone debating that Yak shouldn't have been there, just that maybe Edmonton shouldn't have. No good

[Coach]

Agreed. I think Yakupov was the #1, but everyone and their grandma was saying that Oilers should have either taken Murray or traded #1.

[sureLoss]

Darren Dreger @DarrenDreger
At least 8 teams have shown interest in acquiring the 1st pick overall from the Panthers. Van, Cgy, Edmtn and Tor among them.

[FAN]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

The Yakupov pick was terrible - they should be bashed endlessly for it.
I could care less if he was consensus top pick or not. Properly managing that pick wouldn't have turned that crap franchise around, but it might have stopped the leaking so at least the ship didn't sink. One could give them a pass if it was their first 1st ov pick, but it was their 3rd in a row at number one.
An outstanding epic fail, even for them.

How was the Yakupov pick terrible? How do you propose that they properly manage that pick? It seems that some posters chere ompletely do not understand the concept of selecting the BPA and worrying about team needs later. Whether or not the Oilers should have kept the #1 overall pick is a complete separate discussion from whether the Oilers made a bad draft choice. The Oilers could have traded Eberle to address team needs instead.

It's like saying the Nordiques were wrong in selecting Lindros when they had Sakic and Sundin or that the Penguins were wrong in drafting a center when they had Crosby and Malkin. It's not the selection that is wrong.