Any chance all the Murray buzz is just a ploy. I mean, from what I've read, Columbus has little interest in Yakapov (which is stupid because he's exactly the type of guy to rebuild a franchise around). So that might mean Murray. Now if the Oil put it out there that they are going to take Murray, doesn't that incentivize Columbus to trade for the number one pick? And then if they do take Murray, we end up with Yak and another asset at the same time. Or it could be a way to incentivize COlumbus to trade to pick entirely, in which case, we take both yak and Murray, or hope against hope, Yak and Gal.

Perhaps Daryl needs a rush to the pill stores which would happen if we selected Murray. We'd all need medication to understand that pick...

If the Oil go with Murray or another defenceman at #1, yes, I'll be ticked at management (not the player), but it signals to me that Tambi can't orchestrate a trade for a veteran defenceman and doesn't believe that he can land one via free agency on July 1st. The 2012-13 season will be based solely on the growth of the current lineup.

I think that it would be better for the Oil to select Yakupov and then make a trade later in the evening with the team that lands their defenceman of choice (with presumeably a little more thrown in coming Edmonton's way).

As an aside, I wonder if Kreuger will get the head coach's job on the basis that if the team plummets this year, Lowe can come in and turf both him and Tambi without tainting the pool of potential external replacements out there?

Agree on propaganda, but maybe I'm hoping it's more than simply pressing someone to trade up. Maybe the Oilers are thinking (okay, maybe "thinking" isn't the right word, but stay with me) along the same lines as Gregor. Maybe the Oil are floating "we're taking Murray" to convince the Blue Jackets their man will be gone in the hopes that they can convince the Jackets to trade the number 2 pick for Hemsky and others.

As an aside, if the Oilers move a roster player under the age of 30 for a pick (Hemsky included), it will be counterproductive. They have to stop getting younger at some point, and bringing in two more first round picks is going to start causing roster havoc in the next couple years.

I don't understand why so many people feel that the most important trait for a Dman to have is offensive flair. Sure it is the easiest stat to measure, but it is surely not the only one. I take a healthy younger Pronger over any other Dman in the NHL. Big, mean, and great defensively. Really his only major offensive weapon is his slapshot which many D possess.

I would take Murray as the top D in this draft, followed by Reinhart. They won't get as many points as a lot of the Dmen in this draft, but I think you win more with either of them in your lineup then you do with Dumba.

because the points are so easily measurable I think you will have to pay someone like Dumba (Karlsson in an ideal world) a lot more then you will have to pay a superior Defensive D-man.

Well once the clowns blow this draft with the wink wink safe pick and take a Dman which we all know will fail the oilers give them credit are already looking at once again picking first overall yet again next year. How long does this fan base put up with KLowe running this team?? it's clear that MacT will be coaching once they foolishly hire Ralph Kruger as coach he will get fired so MacT can take over, who would MacT prefer a star forward or a safe pick Dman?? this team is a joke plain and simple Kruger will do his best weekend at Bernie's impression with puppet strings attached to MacT and Klowe, and with drafting a safe Dman is just another clear example of the blind leading the blind. Good luck oil fan this is the best time of year to reward another year of failure start looking at the 2013 top prospects you will want to get to know them.

I can see the Oil putting rumors out there to get a team in the top 5 to try and trade up, but who in their right mind would trade away the pick based on what someone above might do, when you can wait and see what they do and then make a decision on the floor.

If I had the top 2 I would take yak and Gal. Both are of Russian heritage, friends, linemates, and both have a lot of skill. They are also gym partners and I see them pushing each other for years to come. If they have great success together this may also be leverage for hometown discount in the future.

@Truth

Really? She claims they will take murray after hours of that circulating and her quoting someone else and if that is indeed correct she's legit?

@everyone

is there a bonafide source for this murray rumor?

ALso,

you want to know what would really piss me off if they take Murray #1... that would mean the one remaining thing keeping me mildly interested in the last 10 games right through the draft lottery would be erased...

all the excitement of staying worse than Montreal and beating Columbus at the lottery... meaningless.

we could easily get Murray at 2 or even 3...

it means you basically kept me interested for nothing... and you wasted the gift of Montreal playing marginally better and Columbus drawing the short straw.

@ Cody Anderson

Looks like the Oilers think they have the Jackets mounted in their vice, putting the screws to Howson. If they're going to pee in Columbus' cornflakes (selecting Murray first) then they could follow up by getting the second overall pick as well. Selecting Galchenyuk or Yakupov with that aquired second overall selection would be optimal.

Hemsky/or Gagner, along with Paajarvi for the second selection. I'd even include an offer to flip firsts next season to get Galchenyuk.

@ Come join the Dark Parade

Even if they got 1st and 2nd, you still wouldnt take Yak??

Maybe they're trying to make one of the other top 5 draft pickers blink. I'm planning on being on the treadmill when I watch the draft. Don't make me fall off Tambi!

@ Burk

Need the center moreso than the winger, Murray and Galchenyuk are what the Oilers need. There's no KHL fears with Galchenyuk, which is best case scenario.

Galchenyuk will be worth the possible year wait. Murray makes it this year. I'd be estatic with Yakupov and Murray though. Just not as happy as with Murray and Galchenyuk.

Can we call Mammoet now if we're going to be moving Heavan and Earth on this deal?

I think he's saying that the only way to get Columbus's pick is to take their guy first. Awfully dangerous game of chicken, taking the pick you think number 2 wants in order to try to get their pick from them.

Draft Murray. You can only get him at #2 if the Oil take Yak #1, and Columbus might not have taken Yak #1 if it was up to them...I'm sure he'll be a stud.

@The Beaker

Yes, if she gets this right I will have a little more confidence in what she says. If they pick Yak or someone else, I, as well as everyone else, knows she is a complete fake.

draft Yak please...the BPA, spare us the surprises!

I say take the best asset then manage the assets after. Hopefully tambo has it in him

Kypreos on Twitter saying Canadiens shopping Subban. Maybe for 1st...

@Archaeologuy

Montreal must not be happy with the money he wants to renew/extend him.

@Martin

Please don't compare the bums on your roster to #1 overall studs. Montreal would be ecstatic to get a player of Kovalchuk's skill set.

Please.

Lots of good points. However, the nervousness and tension you can feel by just entering the thread comes from us knowing first hand that the Oilers management has a tendency to do one dumb move per every 1.5 good moves...

That's why most of us are going bpa all the way.. Trade his ass later should things go south later

@Truth

I'm telling you right now they are trading the pick. Guaranteed.

@Truth

So if they now trade the pick in any way, shape or form will I be the real deal?

No problem if they don't I just go back to being the fake I always was.

I am perplexed? Say they will take Murray first and have him and Rienhart close or even Yakupov, Wouldn't you trade for example to columbus to swap picks + Col 5th round now you still get Reinhart or Yak + asset or go to third pick with Montreal give them a chance at Yak for their pick + a second rd pick now you get Reinhart or Galy + asset. Taking anybody first overall other than Yak is a complete blunder by management. They take Murray will really test if, In Stu we trust.

draft galchenyuk then trade gagner and tuebert to chicago for mclean and their 1st then draft wilson. oilers just got big down the middle and nasty on the wing

Hi Martin, I both agree and disagree with you. A small forward can be great a lineup of small forwards....not so much.

If they drafted Yak with plans on playing him with Hemsky and Gagner, then I would tend to agree. Way too soft, too many turnovers, too easy to push off the puck. On this line Yak is the toughest and most physical of the group....that is not a good thing.

Now put Hall, Hartikainan, or Paajarvi on the wing and it is a marked improvement. Put one of them on wing and Galnechyuk at centre and you actually have a physically imposing line that still has a tonne of skill. then Yak is the least physical of the group, and he is more than strong enough for that.

Good points, but to be honest as an Oiler fan I pay attention to what's in our system, and what's in our system is something just as good, that will take just as long as Murray to be where he needs to be. Plus, for a defender, Murray is not big. Players like Getzlaf or Penner will own this kid.

Also, as an Oiler fan, as someone paying tons of money to go see games, what would I rather pay money for:

a) to see a smooth skating defenseman that is smart and does good things that no one really even sees.

or

b) The Nuge and Ebs coming off a great shift, the opposing team thankful our top talent is off the ice and not passing circles around them. But wait, what's this, the Hall Yak line is on the ice. Now it's two balls to the wall, skill for days players rushing through the middle. Hall breaks through as he takes a reckless body check, but not before the puck lands on Yak's stick. OMFG did you see what he just did??????? Hall and Yak hug at center ice. The post game interview is hilarious as stitch-face Hall grins about the play and the Yak yuks it up with the media. Everyone at work the next day is talking about the goal and quoting Yak like Will Ferrel.

Seriously, if getting to the playoffs and winning a cup means boring trap style hockey ala Nashville, you can have my Oil jerseys.

Forget the all time record for comments if they take Murray. There would be a public linching of Lowebelleni at the Edmonton International Airport. The Nuge would probably refuse to fly home with the brass.

This is madness.

I agree, if you are not taking the consensus #1 you have to try to trade down. the only problem is what if other know your needs and guess what you are doing, or do not value the #1 pick high enough to give you anything of value.

Unless they Have Murray rated #1, it is way to risky to select him #1 hoping to get the 2nd pick as well. If they draft him #1 then i am sure they rate him #1. Tambelini does not have the balls to gamble like this.........Hell I don't think I have the balls for this gamble, and I am all about taking a risk.

hmmm so there leaning on taking Murry.This murry guy isnt the same guy that had 5 pucks go off him into his own net in one game at the world juniors is it?Dithers you watch that game?If this dildo blows this pick its time for a revolt.If the almighty Stu endorses this pick without trading down to get him then Im sure alot of us will doubt how great he is.All this buzz on Murry makes me want to puke.

"if you are not taking the consensus #1 you have to try to trade down. "

bingo... otherwise it's a waste of a #1 to take what would likely go #3.

I guess a supplemental question would be (if you are worried you traded down and that Murray isn't still available) how much daylight is there between Murray and the other Ds?

If the Oil are desperate for a D 4 years down the road right now (crazy I know) they ought to trade the pick down, get an NHL asset and target any of the top 4 D men in the draft.

Please... Please take Yakupov.

is this "alyonka larionov" on tsn Igor's daughter or something?

she's working the "social lounge" online... whatever that means... some kind of champagne room?

at any rate, for anyone interested, tsn.ca will be streaming the draft online for free it looks like

It is Igor's daughter.

ahhh... nepotism wins again! I hate that guy!!

Romulus, the main thing that seperates Murray from the other top D is he is NHL ready whereas the others are all 2 or 3 or more years away from the NHL. For a well rounded Dman (Not super offensive) He has one of the higher ceilings of D in the draft but will play NHL next year. 4 years down the road, who knows.......I think I would prefer Reinhart, because he is younger, bigger, and showed more year over year improvement.

That being said Reinhart is not playing in the NHL next year and is probably 3 to 4 years away from being an effective Dman.

Are we really gonna take Barker at 1st OV ???????

I get the "nhl ready" talk. it seems legit in Murray's case... but probably only to an extent. I mean there is a difference between be able to play

1-9 NHL games (tiny percentage of the draft)

9-82 NHL games (handful of the first round)

82 NHL games as a reliable, contributing anchor at your position.

Assuming Murray is in the second category... how many years until he reaches the third? is he there yet?

I would guess, since Ds take so long to develop, he's a ways away from that crucial third category.

Basically the question is... is he Doughty material and on par with Doughty's development (even he improved dramatically in his second year)??

For a quick D, I still think your best bet is a trade for NHL established players. we have a lot of odds and ends to toy with...

Guys, thanks for the replies, this is, whater happens in a few minutes, very very intersting.

I read again or hear people saying they will get sick or be mad at the GM if Yakupov is not drafted 1st. I don't understand that because I hope everyone realize that the information we have, is from the tv/radio/internet. We do not have all the details like teams does.

Will, I understand that star players are exciting to look at. But you can't have too many of them up front and none at D. You got a point though, you guys do have some good prospects on defence like Klefbom and Musil. I think Murray can be a good pick, imo he will be a very good pick.

When trying to hit an homerun, you often get striked out :)

I would get a big center though, you got great players on wings, you need a strong center to play with Hall or Eberle.

But hey, please note that if Montreal draft Galchenyuk or Forsberg because they are still available at rank 3. We will be VERY happy. :)

Good luck guys ;)