UPDATED! TAMBELLINI GETS BUSY: OILERS ACQUIRE COLIN FRASER

LOS ANGELES — Edmonton Oilers GM Steve Tambellini jumped in on the wheeling and dealing that’s expected to unfold over the next 72 hours by acquiring centre Colin Fraser from the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday night.

The trade, not yet announced by the Oilers, will see one of Edmonton’s three, sixth-round picks — they have selections at 151st, 162nd and 166 — sent to Chicago for the 25-year-old centre.

Fraser, originally drafted in the third round, 69th overall, from the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2003 Entry Draft, scored 7-12-19 in 70 games with the Blackhawks this season.

With Tambellini talking about re-shaping his bottom six forwards for next season, Fraser, a six-foot-one, 200-pound pivot who has played parts of four seasons with the Blackhawks, would seem to fit the bill.

More on this Thursday morning.

I got a text tonight from somebody asking if I’d heard anything about Tambellini talking to Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson about what it might take to get the Oilers the fourth pick — the name being tossed out was Ales Hemsky.

File this bit of buzz under the category of "completely unfounded rumours" as of now — and there will be no shortage of those over the next couple of days.

Howson has said he’s not married to the fourth pick and Tambellini said Tuesday he’d like to acquire another first-round selection. That’s a long way from adding up to shipping Hemsky to the Blue Jackets, but it’s worth a call or two tomorrow.