Edmonton Oilers announce major move with their 1st round draft pick

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Skyler Walker
November 26, 2023 (2:23 PM)

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Oilers Take a Cautious Approach to Possible Trades

In a recent column, Elliotte Friedman shared how the Edmonton Oilers are thinking about their challenges. Instead of rushing into trades, they prefer fixing problems within the team and not giving away key players unless it makes sense.

Who's Off the Table

The Oilers have confirmed that certain players are off the trade table, including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and maybe the 2024 first-round pick. But whether they trade the draft pick depends on whether it's a high pick.

Issue with the First-Round Pick

Friedman talked about a problem with the Oilers' first-round pick, and has confirmed that the Edmonton Oilers made a move and put protection on their first round pick, if traded.

The move with their 1st round pick

Oilers announced that they've placed protection onto their 1st round pick.

"One GM made a really good point about Edmonton's trade options. If you want to include your first-round pick in any move you make, you have to put top-of-the-draft protection on it. Eventually, though, you have to make good on it. So you can tie up that selection for years, uncertain when you can use it. If you're at the top of the standings, you can deal with it. When you're not, it's a problem."

Conditions and Positive Outlook

The Oilers might trade the first-round pick if the team improves, making it less likely to be a high pick. If they keep struggling, they won't trade the pick. If they do trade it, they may attach conditions to protect against potential issues after the trade.

The Oilers hope they won't have to move a first-round pick out of necessity. There's a big difference between deciding to trade it smartly and feeling forced to do so. As the trade deadline gets closer, the Oilers want to find additions that can help them make the playoffs without giving away important players unnecessarily.

As seen on NHLtradetalk