LW Taylor Hall (2010, 1st overall, EDM)

[David]

Jordan Eberle grew up watching the Oilers

...and Doughty LA...on the flip side, Kadri bleu, blac et rouge colours of Les Glorieux...

 

[David]

Just like I heard Tavares always wanted to play for the Islanders. Stamkos always wanted to play for the Lightning, Nash for Columbus.

The honour of being taken 1st overall trumps anything - end of story. Lindros shenanigans is extremely rare, and does not happen anymore.

So much can change in 2-3 years, but the time these kids even crack a roster or become an impact player, their NHL team could be a contender.

...don't recall it ever happening before either...Lindros was the biggest BRAT in hockey history...KooKoo Bananas anyone?

 

[Bicepus McMaximus]

I'll work in downtown Baghdad for league min.

 

[gifted88]

It happens all the time. Luongo's favourite team growing up was the Oilers and he was drafted by the Panthers.

F.Y.I. Luongo was drafted by NYI...

 

[Minister of Offence]

F.Y.I. Luongo was drafted by NYI...

Who's the dummy that traded him?

Probably that guys biggest blemish as a GM....oh wait....

HEY! That guy should be an analyst....!

Getting on topic...

This stuff goes on every year, Hall will play for Edmonton if he's drafted by them, which I expect he will be. Most of the time the team drafting 1st isn't the ideal team or market but that's why your number 1. Duchene's excitement was pretty fun to watch being drafted by the Avs last year (his boyhood team)...but that doesn't happen very much.

 

[dookers9]

Seems that ever since the draft lottery most people seem convinced that Hall wants to play in Boston and is just giving Edmonton lip service. Does this have any Oilers fan worried? If I remember correctly, Hall's agent is Bobby Orr and he wears number 4 because of Orr, and seemed to be praising Boston more than the other teams in the lottery. Is this just people hopping on the "no one wants to play in Edmonton" bandwagon or is it of legit concern? Tambellini was adamant in his end of year conference about how he only wants players that want to play in Edmonton, and was visibly upset. Would this factor into his decision at the draft at all?

I don't think it would affect the draft at all. At the end of the day you take the best player or best player of the future. You don't worry about them having a different favorite team. This isn't a lindros or eli manning scenario this is just a player who happens to have a different favorite team. This is the same that happened last year where duchene loved the avalanche and explicitly stated they were his favorite team. Now if the islanders would of picked him do you think it would matter that much? Sure he may be disappointed he doesn't get to play for them but he still would be the first overally picked and i'm sure thrilled to be with the islanders as would the islanders have been in selecting him.

I disagree. I believe that a lot of things will enter into the decision-making of Tambellini, and unfortunately, they aren't all based on skills. The Oilers can't afford to drop the ball on this one, let alone have a #1 pick that is not thrilled to be wearing the copper and blue.

Sure, you take the "best player available" and of course you consider which would be the best fit for your team's needs, but at the end of the day you better believe Tambellini's interview questions will involve gauging how tainted either prospects' view of Edmonton and the Oilers organization has become, and that the pick will be influenced by the answer.

That said, I'm under the impression that neither Hall or Seguin are little *****es so this shouldn't be an issue. Hall will have a long career - he can retire as a Bruin if he so chooses.

Have people not heard the many comments of how Hall would love to play here yet? My god, if Dany Heatley waived the NTC NOBODY would be talking about Edmonton being a bad place to play.. it's just ridiculous.

I don't know that all the bad press would have been neutralized with one signing. And I suspect that's been the thinking of Katz, that if only 1 big fish could be landed, all would be forgotten. "See everybody? It's a great place to play - Dany's signing says so!" Misguided, imo.

Unfortunately, professional sports communities are a lot like a junior high school locker room. A kid gets bad mouthed by a certain group - sometimes the kid might not have done anything much to deserve it but it facilitates the process of everyone else feeling great about THEMSELVES since they aren't "that" kid - and before you know it, the rumours and shunning spread like wildfire.

Pretty immature when you're 14, equally as destructive later on. And if your best efforts to quell the spreading virus suck - ie: Oilers management panicking as seen by the Hossa offers, the Heatley begging, the Nylander stupidity - then the fire is fed more O2 and nothing changes.

In the meantime, the Oilers can only hope that whomever they choose come draft day will be the best pick both in character off the ice and in skill on it.

 

[doakacola*]

Tyler Seguin was named MVP of OHL, so Hall lovers does this muddy the draft waters for Edmonton?

 

[s7ark]

Tyler Seguin was named MVP of OHL, so Hall lovers does this muddy the draft waters for Edmonton?

Not even for a second.

Hall is still the best player available this draft, that award says Seguin was just the most important person to his team.

 

[R S]

Anyone who thinks Hall isn't going #1 is kidding themselves

There are no longer any valid arguments out there anymore, there is no way the Oil pass on this kid.

 

[weems]

There are no longer any valid arguments out there anymore, there is no way the Oil pass on this kid.

Yep he's been terrific these 2 first games.

 

[Seachd]

I sure hope so.

 

[Kevin Malone]

I've been saying this all year. He's dangerous every shift he's on the ice. People can now see just how deep this Windsor team is. Had has gotten more ice time he would've put up insane numbers.

 

[hfboardsuser]

There is not a single argument for Seguin that does not hinge the vague promise of potential, as if Hall has a paucity of it. If the Oilers take Seguin they'll have proven they've learned nothing from expensive lessons like Niinimaki, Pouliot and Dubnyk, and are willing to go with their hunches rather than their observations- no matter what their eyes see. That's a dangerous thing and they shouldn't be anywhere near an NHL team if that's the case.

 

[Qubax]

Yah it's a land slide now....Hall all the way.

 

[Beerfish]

Comparing Seguin to a guy like Niinimaki is Pejorative Slured.

It's pretty easy to say Hall because, well he is the only guy playing right now and the games are televised for all to see.

I agree that he is the odds on fav to go #1 but it's not exactly an equal comparison at this point in time.

 

[Seachd]

Comparing Seguin to a guy like Niinimaki is Pejorative Slured.

He didn't.

 

[Qubax]

There is not a single argument for Seguin that does not hinge the vague promise of potential, as if Hall has a paucity of it. If the Oilers take Seguin they'll have proven they've learned nothing from expensive lessons like Niinimaki, Pouliot and Dubnyk, and are willing to go with their hunches rather than their observations- no matter what their eyes see. That's a dangerous thing and they shouldn't be anywhere near an NHL team if that's the case.

I don't know, that's pretty close to comparing if you ask me...

However you dice it...

equating the picking of Tyler Seguin to the brutal picks of Niinimaki, Pouliot and Dubnyk(Jury still out) is a pretty poor comparison.

I agree that because Hall is playing(And playing well) and Seguin is not that it helps Hall immensely...

I will say that if Seguin goes to Boston they are gonna have a sick team for a looooong time.

 

[BHD]

The kid has that extra gear, mach speed like. He's very hard to contain, the perfect offensive winger.

 

[Beerfish]

He didn't.

He put them in the same category. As in implying that Seguin was nothing but a vague projection pick of a guy that might get better. Seguin and Hall are way and above the other players in the draft. Central scouting and some other reputable groups have rated Seguin higher.

There is nothing wrong with declaring that Hall should be the #1 pick but to make the statement that Bugg made was either poorly worded or just a bad bad grouping of players.

 

[hfboardsuser]

I don't know, that's pretty close to comparing if you ask me...

However you dice it...

equating the picking of Tyler Seguin to the brutal picks of Niinimaki, Pouliot and Dubnyk(Jury still out) is a pretty poor comparison.

Again, I'm not making a direct comparison- what I'm saying is that the Oilers Logic (C) of gambling on hunches over substance has killed them time and time again. They picked Niinimaki because they had a hunch he'd become Forsberg 2.0. They picked Dubnyk high because they had a hunch big goalies would dominate the New NHL because of net size changes. They traded down for Pouliot and Jacques because they had a hunch both would be NHLers and two NHLers > one.

Have they made great picks? Absolutely, but I'd argue the case that they'd have shot themselves had the bullet been given to them. Example: Glennie over MSP. I think if both were still on the board, they'd have gone with the Western Canadian boy that MacGregor described as having an elite shot. Example: Colborne over Eberle. I think if Colborne had still been on the board, they'd have taken him instead. Eberle was the perfect Plan B because they knew him intimately thanks to the Davis family's connection with Regina. But given the choice between a 6'5 center and an average-skating 5'10 mite, I think we all know who would have been first on their list.

The same is true here; Hall is everything the Oilers could POSSIBLY ask for in a first overall pick not named Crosby/Malkin. But yet they may end up preferring a kid who has proven far less- and failed more tests- based merely on a hunch he projects better long-term. No rationale observer could possibly put any faith into this group's talent evaluation skills following the first round debacles over the years. How could you? If they don't pick Hall, it's proof they're still stubborn.

 

[habsfan3131]

Taylor Hall player comparisons

Is he a Lecavalier, Lafontaine, Yzerman, Sacik, Kane, Nash or somebody else ?

Thanks

 

[Kevin Malone]

Pierre McGuire seems to think he is a Messier. It will be interesting to see if the Oilers convert him back to a center.

 

[McJC]

I'd say he plays like a Rick Nash. I think that's the player that fits his style the best IMO.

 

[arsmaster*]

Their regular season numbers are still pretty close.

Seguin didnt have the national exposure.

Its still a 2 horse race.

All that being said, Hall has been oh so impressive throughout the playoffs, out shone Seguin head-to-head (Windsor is light years better than Plymouth), and has been out right the best player of the Memorial Cup and it isnt close.

Seguin's skillset is really, really appealing .....I just dont see Edmonton not going with Hall though.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Hall is going #1...he has to