Edmonton Oilers’ General Manager Steve Tambellini open about No. 1 Draft Pick dealing –NHL Updates
Edmonton Oilers has been a declining team ever since its last playoffs’ run right after the National Hockey League’s (NHL) lockout in the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, which they lost in a close seven-game series to Carolina Hurricanes. During the past two seasons,
Oilers is on a mission to rejuvenate its team, and two No. 1 draft picks have a lot to do with it.
This time around in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Oilers will have the first number pick for the second time in a row.
In the previous draft, Edmonton had the choice between two top prospects, Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin, of which they chose Hall. Seguin eventually went to Boston Bruins and is currently playing in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Once again Edmonton Oilers has the No. 1 pick this season and according to Oilers’ General Manager, Steve Tambellini, Oilers is willing to negotiate on it and is open to dealings, but obviously he will do whatever is in the best interest of his team.
"I've had a few calls (from) people kicking the tires of how they can help me make the Oilers a better team", Tambellini said on Wednesday after the NHL's GMs meeting. "For me to move the No. 1 pick it would have to be obviously something exceptional, because
this is a huge building block again for us”.
Since there are many players which are top prospects instead of last year which only had two, Edmonton’s management is still in the consultation process to decide on what would be the best decision to make in order to put the team back into place.
"I think there's at least five players that can be in play and arguably qualify as the No. 1 pick — no question", added Tambellini. "It's different than last year for sure".
Edmonton ranked as the 30th (Last) team in the NHL overall for the last two seasons before the playoffs began, which makes it in desperate need of reconstruction.
Slowly and steadily making the right decisions will be the only way to ensure it reaches its goals.
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