We’re in that weird flux between the end of the playoffs and the beginning of the draft – simultaenously the most and least significant period for hockey clubs. Meaning we’re still mired in speculation, but at least this speculation has the flavor of possibility given all the interviews and articles which are reporting on basically nothing.
Interesting article in today’s Ottawa Citizen:
Murray told me he has already spoken to Edmonton GM Steve Tambellini to gauge his willingness to move the No. 1 overall pick.
Murray doubts the Oilers will trade it, but every pick has its price, of course.
“I can imagine who they’d want from us,” Murray said, “our little right-shot defenceman I would think.”
And would Murray consider moving Erik Karlsson, his first-round, 15th overall selection in 2008?
“No, I’m not doing that,” Murray said, flatly.”
Ottawa’s rebuild doesn’t seem to involve a complete teardown, and so they aren’t into trading their All Star defenceman who they’ve poured two years development into for a project, albeit a very good one. And Edmonton is probably salivating over the notion of a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Taylor Hall and Magnus Pajaarvi or Jordan Eberle.
Losing Erik Karlsson after only two seasons, as tantalizingly good as he has seemed at times, is hard to imagine. But the thought of having two picks in the top six in the first year of a rebuild is also pretty impressive, and the Sens have some defensive depth (albeit a depth of 3-4-pairing players) and David Rundblad on the way. They need forward depth, particularly at center, and could have the best center in the draft for the price of a 15th overall undersized puck mover and probably a pick that won’t see the NHL for the next several seasons, if at all. That seems like a fairly reasonable upgrade.
And it’s summer. So…
Welcome To Your Karlsson Years 