We’re so very close to the 2018 NHL entry draft that I can taste it and with that I can also smell the rumors coming from the kitchen. I’m of the belief that the Oilers and Red Wings are looking to make a deal at the draft.
Yesterday morning on Oilers Now one of the guests was former Oilers head coach Todd Nelson and what makes him significant in this is that for the last number of years he was the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. During the show, Bob Stauffer asked Nelson a number of questions regarding some of the Red Wings top prospects like Anthony Mantha, Evgeni Svechnikov, and Filip Hronek.
Honestly, I expected more questions regarding Nelson joining the Dallas Stars coaching staff. Mind you they did touch on that and Nelson’s history with new Stars coach Jim Montgomery but it was the attention to those other three players that got me thinking.
The talk over the weekend has been how Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi has flown up the draft rankings and Craig Button has said if the Habs want him so bad, take him at no.3 overall! That’s insane to me… But other teams that took extra interest in Kotkaniemi at the combine in Buffalo were Detroit and Edmonton.
I don’t think that Kotkaniemi is on the Oilers radar but it’s become clear that he IS on the radar of the Red Wings, Canadiens, and according to John Shannon, the Blackhawks.
It’s going to be an interesting draft, eh? After #2 overall, it could be a crapshoot. Nobody knows what Montreal is thinking. They should take Zadina there but Brady Tkachuk has been a rumored selection for them. Ottawa will take whoever is available between Svechnikov, Zadina, or Tkachuk but may very take Noah Dobson since their head scout is based where Acadie-Bathhurst plays. Will Arizona take another American born player in Hughes or will the go with the dynamic Swede in Boqvist?
Then we come up to Detroit at #6 overall, would they take Kotkaniemi that early? How badly do they want another pick in the top 10 because Hughes and Bouchard would look great wearing the winged wheel for the next 15 years.
Let’s bring this back around to the Oilers and those prospects now.
- Would the Red Wings be willing to part with Anthony Mantha for the #10?
- Would the #30, Svechnikov and Hronek for the #10 be an overpayment or an underpayment?
I think those are pretty Oilers-leaning proposals if I’m being totally honest. That being said, the Oilers are in need of some depth on the wing and they do need a right-shot dman.
Anthony Mantha is an RFA this summer who is coming off of his entry-level deal with the Red Wings. He hasn’t come along as quickly as he was expected to after absolutely dominating the QMJHL. In his last season with Val D’or he was a goal-per-game player to put it into perspective. As for his NHL production, last year was a breakout year for him as he put up 24g and 24a in 80gp.
I’m not sure how much he’ll cost to re-sign but I’d be surprised if it didn’t start with a 4.
Evgeni Svechnikov has one year left on his ELC and hasn’t quite made the transition to the NHL yet. I’m not sure if he will or not as he’s not exactly lighting up the AHL. His first season was a bright one, he had 51 points in 74 games but the totals slipped a bit last season where he managed 23 points in 57 games… Not a good sign, especially when you’ve got Todd Nelson as your coach. He did play 14 games for Detroit though and had 4 points in that time.
Filip Hronek is a former 2nd round pick. A smaller dman at 6′ tall and merely 164lbs… He spent his junior career in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit where he was a high-scoring right-shot defender. In his inaugural season with the Red Wings AHL club he had 39 points in 67 games which was tops on the club.
I do find it interesting that Bob Stauffer would be asking about Hronek after making comments about how the reason Hughes and Boqvist might be slipping is due to size… I guarantee you, if the Oilers pick Hughes or Boqvist at #10 and put him in the AHL next season, that player will get at least 39 points.
Hell, they might get that in the NHL depending on the club.
Detroit has four draft picks in the top 36 of the draft. What if the Oilers were to trade down with the Red Wings?
- #10 for #30, #33, and #36
I think that’s probably too far to drop for Edmonton, especially if Boqvist, Bouchard, Hughes, or Wahlstrom are right there but it’d give them 4 picks from #30 to #40 where they could possibly add players like,
- Ty Dellandrea (C) – Has all the tools to become an everyday NHLer. Draws comparisons to Toews.
- Ryan Merkley (RHD) – One of THE MOST talented players in the draft but off-ice issues and defensive IQ is holding him back from being a top-5 selection. Had great interviews at the combine.
- Calen Addison (RHD) – RH’d offensive dman who can skate very well and is an excellent playmaker. Ex-teammate of Stuart Skinner in Lethbridge.
- Jonny Tychonick (LHD) – Smooth puck-moving dman who can quarterback the PP. Massive character guy.
- Liam Foudy (C) – Massive speed. Might be fastest in this draft class. Excellent puck skills and shoots with great scoring efficiency.
- Aidan Dudas (C) – Brendan Gallagher clone. Very small but fast, skilled, and aggressive.
- Niklas Nordgren (RW) – Shaped and plays like a bowling ball. Very VERY fit player as he had one of the lowest body fat calculations at the combine. He’s a shooter first and foremost. His shot is his #1 attribute but he’s also a tireless worker on the ice. Smaller player though.
I know that it’s hard to miss out on a potentially elite talent that a team could get in the 10-spot but If the Oilers came away with any four of those players above, I’d be stoked. I’m a prospects guy though and I think that teams should try to add as many early round picks as possible. I mean, this is daydreaming but a draft where the Oilers could have 4 picks in top 40 would go so far in terms of the team’s long term future. I don’t know if Edmonton has ever had a time where you could say year after year they have high-end players who are showing great potential getting ready to join the club.
But as I said, that scenario is probably a pipe dream or maybe it’s just a dumb idea but to be clear, I’d would rather have a game-breaker like Quinn Hughes, Adam Boqvist, or Oliver Wahlstrom. There’s a much higher chance of them becoming 1000 game players than the 2nd rounders mentioned above. My reasoning is simply organizational depth with that proposal.
Maybe something a bit more realistic would see both teams swap RFAs and draft picks/prospects. Detroit has to re-sign Dylan Larkin, Athanasiou, Frk, Bertuzzi, as well as the aforementioned Anthony Mantha and have about $17M to do it.
I’m just Rishaug-ing here. What do you think?
Last thing, I’ve heard that the Oilers are possibly looking to add someone to their front office. Someone who would oversee the coaching and coaching development. Meaning if the coaches get out of line or are slow to change things up, there’d be a person to hold them accountable. No names have come up but this is a position of great importance to Bob Nicholson.
