Oilers' quiet draft weekend leaves major gaps to fill before July 1
Without a first-round pick and minimal roster moves, Edmonton faces a busy summer of free agency to build a Stanley Cup contender.
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The Edmonton Oilers were pure spectators at this weekend's NHL Draft in Buffalo, leaving them with significant work to do before the free-agency window opens July 1.
For the third time in the last four seasons, the Oilers didn't have a first-round pick. The last first-round pick still in the organization is Evan Bouchard, selected 10th overall in 2018.
General manager Stan Bowman made selections in the second, third, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds. After trading the 52nd overall pick to Tampa Bay, the Oilers used the 58th pick on Rudolfs Berzkalns, a six-foot-four, 205-pound Latvian-born centre. In the third round (84th overall), they took Malcom Gastrin, a Swedish left winger. They also selected left-shot defenceman Andrew Robinson (133rd overall) and teammate Cayden Harvey (180th) from the Windsor Spitfires, and USHL goalie Ryan Cameron at 212.
"In the absence of a first-round pick it was a long first day," said Oilers director of amateur scouting Rick Pracey.
But this weekend's haul is for years down the road. The Oilers remain focused on a Stanley Cup window in the here and now, leaving several urgent priorities unaddressed: they still need a goaltender to run tandem with Tristan Jarry, must resolve the Darnell Nurse trade situation, and may need forward upgrades under new head coach Mike Babcock's system.
Former Edmonton Oil Kings netminder Sebastian Cossa went to Utah at 23rd overall, currency the Oilers didn't have. There remains little progress on a Nurse trade; he isn't generating many suitors with four years left on a $9.25-million salary and a limited no-trade clause listing only three acceptable teams.