Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat
it, or so the saying goes. It’s been paraphrased a few different ways, but the
ultimate meaning is consistent: We are often placed in situations that have occurred
similarly before and if we fail to learn from the mistakes and/or triumphs of
those times then the outcomes aren’t going to be any different. As Edmonton
approaches the draft this Friday there is a real danger of repeating its very
recent past history.

The one thing the Oilers simply cannot do is commit highly
valued assets to acquiring a Plan B option. They cannot enter the market, fail
to get the player they covet the most, then use the assets they were willing to
part with in order to get a lesser player.

Last year Peter Chiarelli, by several accounts, had prepared
an offer for Dougie Hamilton of the Bruins that centered around the 16th
overall pick and others. Effectively, it was the immediate equivalent of an
offer sheet compensation package. The Bruins rebuffed his offer and took a
similar package from the Flames, leaving Chiarelli without the player he
coveted.

In a move that made very little sense then and even less
now, Peter Chiarelli made a mistake that he now needs to acknowledge before
wading back into this situation again. He needs to, at least internally, admit
that he made a mistake that flushed a highly valued asset down the drain to
acquire a nominal talent in Griffin Reinhart. He needs to do it so it won’t happen again.

The Oilers used the same principal assets to pick up a
(then) 21-year-old, AHL regular with only eight NHL games, left shooting defenseman
coming off a 22-point AHL season that they were going to use on a (then) 22-year-old,
NHL established, right shooting defenseman coming off a 42-point NHL season.
The difference between these two players is immense. One would have actually
helped the Oilers fill gaps in the lineup. The other has only provided depth
where there already was some strength, leaving the gaps in the lineup unfilled.

Fast forward to the 2016 NHL draft. The Oilers are coming
into this season needing exactly the same thing they needed last year. The big,
young, elite right-shooting defenseman that the Oilers lack looms large for
this club. They are chasing their own tails trying to acquire this piece and
speculation isn’t about using picks to get this player like they were a year
ago. Now it’s about trading one of the $6 million dollar men.

Now it’s about trading Taylor Hall or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
The Oilers failed to address the right side of their defense a year ago and we’ve
escalated from using the 16th overall pick and some second
rounders to using one of the best left-wingers in the game today. And for the
right player, it might make sense. I mean, it’s unlikely, but it’s possible.

Taylor Hall’s name is out there. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ name
is out there. Jordan Eberle’s name, for some reason, is not out there. If any
of these players go there has to be a very good, established, right-shooting
defenseman coming back. Not all three $6 million dollar men are equal, mind you.
What I expect the return to be for Eberle is not what I expect for Hall.

If the Oilers are dangling Hall then they need to be getting
top dollar. This is a player who can drive an offensive line playing against
top opposition. He’s fast, effective, talented, and signed to a quality
contract. He’s also the 2nd best player on the team, behind only
Connor McDavid, and there’s a big gap between him and the next guy on the list.

If Hall is going, the Oilers have to be getting Dougie
Hamilton and not Griffin Reinhart. If they can’t get Dougie Hamilton, then it’s
better to walk away from the NHL draft without making a trade at all than it
would be to trade Taylor Hall and get a poor return.

Part of me will be upset if this weekend ends without the
Oilers addressing their blue line. Much more of me will be upset if the Oilers
make a trade that sends out one of the game’s most elite wingers and nets them
an OK second pairing defender and some extras. The best deals are
sometimes the ones you don’t make. Peter Chiarelli and the Edmonton Oilers need
to be just as prepared not to make a trade between now and the end of the draft
as they will be to pull the trigger on the right one.

They have to be willing to learn from the mistake they made
when they traded for Griffin Reinhart despite not needing the player and paying
altogether too much for him just because they were willing to use those assets
on someone else. Edmonton might be prepared to trade Taylor Hall this weekend,
but being dead-set on getting someone for Taylor Hall like they were dead set
on getting someone with the 16th pick last year would be a disaster.

Don’t Reinhart another draft floor trade. This team isn’t good
enough to waste assets the way it did a year ago. 

 

There are few certainties in life – we can always count on the sun coming up in the morning, Edmonton winters being dreadful, and the Oilers missing the playoffs. As such, we present the annual OilersNation Draft Party! It’s time to honour the the anniversary of drafting our beloved Connor, celebrate the rewards of another failed season, and raise some money for charity.

Here’s what you need to know…

The party is happening at the Pint Downtown on Friday, June 24th. The goal is to raise as much money as possible for the Red Cross and their efforts to bring normalcy back to Fort McMurray, and have a little bit of fun while we’re at it. For $30 you get a Draft Party t-shirt, a $10 Pint GC, a $10 Oodle Noodle GC, a draft party collectors cup, and a chance for prizes and eternal glory.

All proceeds from tickets sold will be donated directly to the Red Cross so bring your friends, get involved, and help us support a community in need. Tickets are still available here.

One day, the Oilers will be a good hockey team and we’ll all be able to laugh about this. Until then, we party.