Edmonton Oilers get first draft pick for third straight year –NHL Update
It might not be anything new for the Edmonton Oilers but it certainly will be something they can be number-one at as the team won the National Hockey League (NHL) draft lottery on Tuesday night, April 10, 2012, and was awarded the first overall pick this year as well for the third straight time.
Edmonton ended off the 2011-2012 NHL regular season with the second fewest points at number 14 in the Western Conference, nearly 10 points above Columbus Blue Jackets with 74.
They had a minor chance of less than 20 percent to grab the top pick and luckily, they grabbed it, leaving Columbus Blue Jackets behind despite being higher than them in the rankings. Many were of the view that Blue Jackets were the most deserving and it certainly is not hard to see why, but the procedure must be followed and Edmonton emerged on top.
"I guess if you're in the lottery and you come here you might as well win it,” Edmonton Oilers general manager, Steve Tambellini, said. "I feel really excited about the fact that now another young talent, hopefully at the level of what the past few picks have been (is coming)."
Oilers picked up number-one draft pick, Taylor Hall, back in 2010 and followed it up with another huge selection, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, last year, but unfortunately, it has given them what they need and that is to get back into the playoffs.
The last three seasons have been some of the worst in franchise history for the team and is not sure whether the coaching staff and management have enough time to continue shuffling around.
"We articulated a plan two years ago that we felt we had to develop and draft our own," Tambellini said. "We knew that in our market that we weren't going to attract the A-plus free agents just to come without us being a good hockey club. We know that this is our only way to really, as a core, to get better,” Tambellini added.
Columbus Blue Jackets general manager, Scott Howson, stated that his club was disappointing after missing out the chance to secure number-one but is still hoping to rebuild during the offseason.
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