EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers are back in a familiar position these days, which is draft at or near the top 5 in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft. The hockey world was speaking in hush tones before the draft lottery praying and swearing for the Oilers not to get the first overall pick. Well, to those fans a huge sigh of relief went out when they did not win it. Now the Oilers will just have to “settle” with the 4th overall pick in this year’s draft. The funny part is it might have helped lessen the team’s decision on who to take with the pick. 
As usual Edmonton needs a lot of help in all different areas of the ice. The Oilers were 26th in offense, 27th in defense, 18st on the power play, 13th on the penalty kill, 25th in face-offs, 22nd in shots for, and 26th in shots against. Edmonton had only two players with at least 20 goals, both wingers, and seven players with at least 10. Leon Draisaitl and had Connor McDavid not gotten injured who knows what might have been. Still, he ended up with 16 goals in 45 games.
The Oilers should benefit from a healthy season from McDavid. Still, this pick could see the team go for another scorer such as Matt Tkachuk or Alexander Nylander, or Pierre-Luc Dubois or trade down and take someone like center Tyson Yost.
Still, the Oilers are always trying to build a blueline through the draft. Griffin Reinhart is at the top of the list of defensive prospects and when the Oilers pick sat four, all of the top defensemen should still be on the board so Edmonton will have the pick of the litter. Jakub Chychrun and Olli Juolevi are the top two rated d-men but Juolevi’s stock has surpassed Chychrun since the start of the system.
With that said look for Edmonton to make the following announcement at the podium in Buffalo.
“With the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, the Edmonton Oilers select, from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, Olli Juolevi.”
The Vancouver Canucks are now on the clock.
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