Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal: believes the odds are high that the Edmonton Oilers trade their first-round pick – No. 10 overall – as whichever defenseman they would have drafted won’t be NHL ready for another two or three years. Ty Smith or Noah Dobson could be options a No. 10.
The Oilers need immediate offense from their backend, and no, the Oilers don’t have the pieces for Senators Erik Karlsson.
“A player at No. 9 or No. 10 isn’t going to play next year,” Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli said recently.