Hall and Seguin: why not both?

Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin? Tyler Seguin or Taylor Hall? With the Edmonton Oilers a dead-cinch for one of the top two picks in the 2010 Entry Draft, it’s a great debate.

But, while the argument over who the Oilers should take, assuming they retain the first overall pick in the lottery, rages on in Edmonton and on fan sites around the internet, let’s throw a wrench in the works with one question: why not both?

If you’re Steve Tambellini and you’ve just stepped to the podium at The Staples Center in Los Angeles and called Hall’s name with the first pick, is there any reason you wouldn’t walk across the floor and ask Boston GM Peter Chiarelli what it would take to get his pick, second overall, via Toronto?

Or, if Toronto was to climb over Carolina in Eastern Conference standings and the Hurricanes moved into the second slot, is there any reason you wouldn’t tap Jim Rutherford on the shoulder and ask him what it would take for his pick?

Is there any one player on the Oilers roster right now you wouldn’t trade for Seguin? Any two players?

At the very least, wouldn’t it be worth asking?

If Chiarelli said, "Gimme Ales Hemsky and Sam Gagner," would you make that move to get Hall and Seguin? If Rutherford said, "It’ll take Hemsky and Dustin Penner," would you say, "Done deal?" If not, why not?

With the Oilers in rebuild mode, would landing Hall and Seguin be worth two more years of Hemsky and Penner? Do we know if Hemsky or Penner will even be here after 2011-12, when their contracts expire? I don’t, especially when it comes to No. 83.

Yes, Hemsky’s got a palatable cap hit of $4.1 million for two more years, but what are the Oilers going to win in that span?  Again, do you see Hemsky re-signing here when his deal is up?

With Penner, is he ever going to be more than what he is now, a 25-30 goal scorer? I’m not saying that’s chopped liver, not at $4.25 million, but what kind of player will Penner be in two years, at age 29?

What of Gagner? He’s only 21, but what’s his top end? Do you see him as a 60-point player one day? Is he a 70-point guy? Does Seguin project higher as a centre? You tell me.

The way I see it, if Tambellini is serious about a rebuild, about laying a real foundation this team can build on and about reversing the direction this franchise is headed without taking 3-5 years to become a contender, taking a run at Hall and Seguin is worth a shot.

If the Oilers keep the first pick in the lottery, Tambellini needs to ask the question.