Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland spoke with the media Monday morning breaking down what should be one of the craziest weeks in NHL history.
Things kick off with the first round of the NHL draft Tuesday night at 5 p.m., followed by round two picking up Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. Edmonton
Edmonton holds the 14th overall pick, 76th overall, 138th overall pick, 169th overall pick and the 200th overall pick. Holland said it’s likely the Oilers use their third-round pick instead of giving it to Calgary.
Holland spoke about what the week ahead would look like, starting with an update on defenceman Oscar Klefbom.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Klefbom is receiving treatment in Sweden and that surgery is the likely result. That would mean a length recovery process which could keep him out for the year. This is a huge story to continue to watch.
When it comes to the 14th overall pick, the Oilers have a number of options available to them and it appears it won’t be used on a defenceman, Holland said. We’ll see who the Oilers like at 14 and if they’re available Tuesday night.
When it comes to free agency, Holland said that’s his most likely way of addressing the Oilers goaltending situation. This is probably for the best, as reported asking prices for some goaltenders are far too high like with Pittsburgh asking for Edmonton’s 1st in a Matt Murray deal.
On @Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Holland spoke about the importance of him to the organization. He emphasized Nuge’s flexibility in the Oilers top-six and how he’d like to sign him longterm.
Holland also said he has a decision made on Andreas Athanasiou and Matt Benning, but wouldn’t divulge that. The Oilers have until Wednesday at 3 p.m. MST to offer them qualifying offers.
On top of that, Holland said he wouldn’t comment on rumours the Oilers were interested in @Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
On Twitter: @zjlaing