Oilers hope draft picks bolster rebuilding plans

By Bud L. Ellis

After a season during which they finished at the bottom of the National Hockey League in wins and points, the Edmonton Oilers are hoping to turn things around at next weekend’s NHL Draft.

The once-proud franchise won just 27 of its 81 games in 2009-10, finishing with a league-worst 62 points. But with the draft comes an opportunity to begin the climb back to respectability in the Western Conference.

Edmonton holds the overall No. 1 selection in the draft, but the Oilers’ chances for making an impact on the roster don’t end there. Thanks to a pair of second-round picks, Edmonton will select three players in the first 48 picks, and hold 10 spots overall in the draft.

The Oilers have indicated they will not deal the top pick. In addition to the three picks in the first two rounds, Edmonton will select two players in the third round, one in the fourth (giving Edmonton six selections in the first 91), one in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.

The NHL Draft is June 25-26 in Los Angeles.

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Friday, June 18, 2010 at 2:54 pm by bud

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