Hockey Wilderness Community 2011 NHL Mock Draft: Edmonton Oilers

by BReynolds on May 17, 2011 9:00 AM CDT in Features

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The Edmonton Oilers are not a very good hockey team. Finishing 25-45-12 (62 points), a -76 goal differential, and they finished dead last in the league for the second year in a row. Funny thing about finishing dead last in the league? It gives you the first pick in the draft, just so long as Lou Lamoriello doesn't swing in at the last minute and steal it from you.

Last year, of course, the big question was Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin. Our history lesson of the day shows us that the Oil chose Hall, and at least right now, it looks like the winning pick. Hall had 42 points (22G, 20A) in 65 games played before missing the rest of the season with a "lower body injury." Seguin, meanwhile, finished with 22 points (11G, 11A) in 74 games played, and has been a consistent healthy scratch during the Bruins playoff run.

This year, the question to which no one outside of Edmonton cares about, yet which will be the lead story on TSN for the next six weeks, is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Adam Larsson?

Make the jump for what Hockey Wilderness feels they should do, and make sure to cast your vote. Remember, you are picking as the Oilers, not against them. The poll is after the jump, and runs from now until 8PM Central Time.

The Oilers have centers. What they don't have is a center who can keep up with Taylor Hall. This could be a franchise changing moment for the Oilers, with the decision being, "Do we take the franchise center to go with the franchise winger we took last year, or do we think we can find that center on the open market?"

I'll tell you right now, the center is never going to be there on the open market.

The other choice, which isn't really a choice to anyone except a poor hockey blogger looking for something to compare in order to fill a post, is Adam Larsson, a Swedish defenseman. If the Oilers make the worst decision of all time and take Larsson first overall, he would be the first d-man taken that high since Erik Johnson in 2006, and only the second since 1996.

Is Larsson the next Erik Johnson? Is the next Erik Johnson worth missing the next Sidney Crosby or Steven Stamkos?

It is highly unlikely the Oilers take someone other than Nugent-Hopkins, but hey... that decision is up to you. With the first overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry draft, the Edmonton Oilers are proud to select:

Poll

With the first overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the Edmonton Oilers are proud to select:

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

123 votes

Adam Larsson

30 votes

Gabriel Landeskog

9 votes

Jonathan Huberdeau

1 votes

Sean Couturier

20 votes

Other: Please list in comments

0 votes

183 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 17 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Oh how the mighty have fallen

Remember when this was Couturier or Landeskog’s spot to lose?

Anyway, I take Nugent-Hopkins all day here. Hall – Nugent-Hopkins – Pääjärvi-Svensson. That’s a young, talented top line.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on May 17, 2011 9:17 AM CDT reply actions

Remember when this was Couturier or Landeskog’s spot to lose?

I can’t come up with a solid reason why Couturier has fallen the way he has. His numbers are solid no matter how you look at them and yet he’s been in free fall for most of the season in the draft rankings. I’ve seen some ranking with him outside the top 5 now, if that happens someone without a lottery pick might get real lucky.

Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and a frequenter of the time waster that is Twitter.

by ryanbatty on May 17, 2011 10:12 AM CDT up reply actions

From NHL.com, Chris Bordeleau, Central Scouting’s chief QMJHL scout:

Sean Couturier is a good hockey player, but there were players who got better

It seems like it’s more that other players have risen than Couturier has fallen.

by unyieldingflan on May 17, 2011 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions

http://www.coppernblue.com/2011/5/5/2155222/does-improvement-matter

Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.

by Derek Zona on May 17, 2011 10:51 AM CDT up reply actions

I agree with you, but I think both the avalanche and oilers will pass on Couturier, hopefully they won’t regret it, but Huberdeau seems to be more riskier and he’s one of the two forwards everyone at MHH is in love with Landeskog being the other.

Each of my replies is a work of art, each more brilliant than the last.

by An Unmitigated Disaster on May 17, 2011 11:49 PM CDT up reply actions

The Oilers will take Nugent-Hopkins.

If it was up to me I’d rather they take Larsson.

Everyone knows rock attained perfection in 1974. It's a scientific fact.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and a frequenter of the time waster that is Twitter.

by ryanbatty on May 17, 2011 10:13 AM CDT reply actions

Seems a bit strange to be posting here considering I have not contributed much lately to the blogs I am supposedly a writer for, including the Copper and Blue, but what the hell… As my colleague stated above, the Oilers will take RNH. It is not a bad pick, but like my colleague, I would also take Larsson if I were in charge.

The Oilers have centers. What they don’t have is a center who can keep up with Taylor Hall.

Ok, so the Oilers have centers-what they don’t have is a center outside of Captain Horcoff who can win a face off. In fact, you guys now have the only other Oiler in recent memory who could win a draw, and you got him for magic beans and a bag of pucks. So RNH is a logical choice in a sense, but his size and skill-set seem to be replicated by Gagner and (ugh) Cogliano, sadly. RNH could easily surpass Sam, but on the other hand, he could turn out to be the exact same player, only a bit faster. I fear this as a reality, particularly when you look at the splits in even strength vs. PP points production for both players in their draft years.

Couturier then becomes the interesting potential prospect because of his size and two-way ability and potential in the dot. Problem here is that he is media-shy and has been fire-walled by his agent the entire year. Edmonton is a hockey city, it’s the only real game in town (come on, the CFL is just terrible, and I am a born and raised canadian). As such, Couturier would likely crumble under the intense media pressure and scrutiny that he would constantly be under-unlike someone like Taylor Hall who was born to be in the spotlight. Say no to Couturier for that reason. Send him to Jersey where he can thrive in the swamps of anonymity.

The Oilers also have some serious problems on D. When Kurtis Foster is in your top 4, you know your defence is essentially swiss-cheese. Therefore, the logical pick is the big Swedish d-man who has pro-league experience and is the potential top-end defensive player that Edmonton has not had since Chris (F.) Pronger. Sure, he won’t be that right away, but with the other Swedes in the system (Omark, Paajarvi, Lander, potentially Victor Fasth), he will have the comfort to grow into his role, and have a great mentor in Ryan Whitney to get him ready for the pace and rigours of the NHL game.

RNH will be the pick they take, and he will be a great player, but my money is on Larsson as the right pick for this team, both today and for the long term future.

by Stephen Sheps on May 17, 2011 10:34 AM CDT reply actions

Larsson or Couturier but I lean towards the defenseman.

Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.

by Derek Zona on May 17, 2011 10:52 AM CDT reply actions

Here's hoping Couturier keeps falling

All the way to #10. Cam Fowler-like slide please!!

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on May 17, 2011 11:32 AM CDT reply actions

He kind of looks like a second coming of Lecavalier

But perhaps with less hustle… I certainly wasn’t impressed by his performance at the juniors, but when he’s on his game, watch out!

Also, it’s a shame that Bathurst boy won’t be picked 1st :( would’ve been pretty cool for us…

JS, Champion of the first ever Hockey Wilderness Playoff Bracket Challenge! WHOOOOOOOO!

Author, watchdog, enforcer and french-canadian connection for Hockey Wilderness.

twitter: BubbleWild48

by JSLandry on May 17, 2011 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions

I would say Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

1) Once the draft gets past pick 30, there are going to be a lot of defensemen available. The Oilers will have the ability to draft a good defensman in the 2nd – 4th rounds. Nugent-Hopkins or a comparable player won’t be around in round 2.

2) While the Oilers do have centers, as was alluded to earlier, they all stink or ended up on the IR. (Is Horcoff ever actually healthy?) Drafting Nugent-Hopkins would allow the Oilers to go back in time and draft both Hall and their elite playmaker (Seguin). It may be one year later, but drafting RNH would allow the Oilers to get both Hall and Seguin (essentially).

3) Whitney, Smid, Gilbert, and Chorney are all young defensemen that still have a relatively high ceiling. Petry and Plante still have time to develop. There aren’t any good, young centers behind the current roster of NHL players. RNH helps the now and the future.

by JDesthubert on May 17, 2011 12:00 PM CDT reply actions

They have one good young center; his name is Anton Lander. They also have a potential #3 in the system named Chris Vande Velde who actually played ok when he was called up to the show and can win draws, which is nice and very necessary. One of those two kids will make the big club in the fall, likely Lander. As far as D depth is concerned, Smid and Chorney are exactly what they appear to be, and they are not the answer long term. It’s a shame, but they don’t have the high ceilings of their draft pedigrees. Petry has more upside than Chorney, while Peckham, Plante and newly acquired Teubert are basically all the exact same player. I don’t know, I am not convinced that RNH is the answer for right now, or the future. This is a really bizarre (read: not great) year to have the top pick.

by Stephen Sheps on May 17, 2011 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions

Agree that this isn’t the deepest draft class, but I would still rather have the #1 vs. #10

by JDesthubert on May 17, 2011 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions

You draft the center...

and you take a chance on the market for a younger solid D man especially when you know that Brent Burns might just be on the market for a prospect and a future pick.

by Krotz the Wall on May 17, 2011 12:35 PM CDT reply actions

Someone get us a Couturier please!

Couturier made the World junior team while RNH did not. Couturier has solid points totals for the last 2 years, RNH does not. Couturier has size the Oilers need as well as face-off ability which RNH lacks.
Larrson is a waste of a pick because defenceman mature too slowly for impact before RFA status kicks in.
Landeskog looks good but may not be a high impact scorer.
There seems to be a bias among talking heads and scouts towards talent in the WHL that is over valuing Nugent-Hopkins. RNH will be a stinker of #1 pick for the Oilers. Already there are too many smurfs walking among NHL men on the Oilers.

by Q the violins on May 17, 2011 1:21 PM CDT reply actions

I pick Steve Yzerman, general manager, Tampa Bay Lightning.

Manager at Vancouver Whitecaps and western Canadian soccer website Eighty Six Forever and infrequently-posting flunky at Edmonton Oilers blog The Copper & Blue.

by Benjamin Massey on May 17, 2011 5:00 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs