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GOT GUMPTION?

By Lowetide

May 3, 2014, 21:45 EDTUpdated:

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As we get closer to the 2014 NHL draft, it’s important to know two things: how many bullets are in the Oilers draft chamber, and what should they spend the picks on?

FORWARDS (16)

Center: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Sam Gagner, Boyd Gordon, Mark Arcobello, Will Acton, Travis Ewanyk, Jujhar Khaira,
Left Wing: Taylor Hall, Nail Yakupov, Jesse Joensuu, Ryan Hamilton, Kale Kessy, Mitchell Moroz
Right Wing: Jordan Eberle, David Perron, Matt Hendricks

RFA FORWARDS (6)

Center: Anton Lander
Left Wing: Luke Gazdic, Roman Horak, Curtis Hamilton
Right Wing: Tyler Pitlick, Andrew Miller

FORWARDS BUBBLING UNDER (10)

Center: Bogdan Yakimov, Marco Roy, Kyle Platzer, Greg Chase
Left Wing: Anton Slepyshev, Daniil Zharkov, Aidan Muir, Evan Campbell
Right Wing: John McCarron, Jackson Houck

That’s 32 players, and I’d include Steve Pinizzotto although he’s a pending UFA.

WHAT’S MISSING?

My list (your mileage may vary) goes like this:

a veteran center. Some call him Jordan Staal, others Paul Stastny and still others Martin Hanzal. I’m not sure if we should call him a 1C or 2C, but he’d be in tandem with Nuge.
a checking winger. I call him ‘the Pisani’ but David Moss fits the bill. Scott Cullen from TSN used Vern Fiddler as the example recently, so that kind of guy.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

At the NHL level, this:

Center: Nuge, Stasty/Staal, Gordon, Arcobello, Lander
Left Wing: Hall, Yakupov, Moss, Joensuu, Gazdic
Right Wing: Eberle, Perron, Hendricks, Pitlick

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?

There are fewer moves needed this summer, but they’re huge. Massive. Craig MacTavish needs a legit two-way center and a two-way winger who can compete at 5×5 and kill on the power play.

And he needs to hit a home run in every area.

Up next: The Blue.