Rumor: 2014/2015 Season Trade Rumours and Proposals VIII - The Road to Tradelemania

[HavlatMach9]

Doesn't that qualify as "not drafting well"?

he's got some weird obsession about thinking about how everyone was wrong about something in the past

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

They are closer to winning a Stanley cup. We are closer to making the playoffs.

No, they are not. They are closer to drafting some very skilled players that may or may not work out. Their current roster is pretty devoid of actual talent and they have nothing in terms of goaltending.

In other words, they are Edmonton before their first 1st overall pick. They could end up being elite. They could also end up being a trainwreck. Or somewhere in-between.

Yes, they have a rich owner, but so does Winnipeg. Doesn't mean that players will flock to Buffalo. It's still Buffalo.

 

[stempniaksen]

Funny how so many are saying that the Oilers can't draft when I remember specifically how so many on here were saying during each draft how great the Oilers were going to be with RNH, Yakopov, Eberle & Hall & signing Schultz. Now it's a different story, now they can't draft? Those guys were all rated very high & at least two of them were rated #1 in their draft yrs & Schultz was supposedly one of the most sought after college UFAs.

It's not that they can't draft well it's that they took the player most had rated as the best player available at the time like Yakopov when they should have maybe traded down & taken a player they may have needed more. Now they are stuck with a guy like Yakopov who has character & work ethic issues & no one else wants him & they are still too small & soft up front. This is an example of taking all skill that has back fired on the team since they have no one to protect these players & at least one of them are constantly injured. An obvious lack of balance on that team.

People say the Oilers don't draft well because they don't (outside of the first round). Anyone can find talent at #1/#2 overall, but the Oilers have proven time and time again they have no idea how to find talent outside of the first round.

Whether it's Tyler Pitlick, Curtis Hamilton, Ryan Martindale, Anton Lander, Mitch Moroz, Riley Nash they've proven that they either can't identify talent, or can't develop it (all these guys were top-60 picks).

Honestly, taking a look through their last 10 drafts it's no wonder they are in the position they are currently in. They haven't been able to find any gems in the later rounds, and most of the players they have drafted haven't been able to stick around for more than a cup of coffee in the NHL.