I get the feeling that this years draft will yield 2 superstars with the 1st and 2nd pick in Hedman and Tavares, this could be the equivalent of Ovechkin and Malkin in terms of talent and potential future NHL impact for the 1st and 2nd picks or at least the best 1-2 combo since then.
If Tampa Bay is willing to move Tavares just because they are content with Stamkos and are stuck with Lecavalier's contract, why shouldn't Tambellini take full advantage? He should take the opportunity to draft a consensus #1 pick in most other drafts if the Isles decide to draft the incredible mix of size and skill that is Victor Hedman.
John Tavares and Sam Gagner combined would give us a superb combination of young forwards that could become our greatest forward duo since the Gretzky years. It would also allow the Oilers to fit their other young potential core players in over the next 2 seasons. Guys like Petry, Peckham, Nash, and Eberle. This would give the Oilers a chance to have 2 key pieces to a rebuild without ever being in the bottom 5 teams in the league in the last 3 seasons.
Dany Heatley would be an ideal candidate to flank Ales Hemsky, and he would immediately improve our team, however with the combination of his salary and age, one has to wonder if the Oilers would be willing to go completely into win now mode and deal a player like Gagner to become a veteran laden team built to win now. The Oilers will likely have to decide if the Hemsky, Horcoff, and Visnovsky types are their core, or if Gagner is the core to build around.
We could potentially land both, but it is unlikely and probably just wishful thinking. Tavares gives Katz his fresh new face of the franchise while Heatley gives him the current superstar that he covets. If Katz motto really is "life is short" we could be missing out on a once in a generation opportunity. In the 30 years of Oilers hockey and of my life, the Oilers have never drafted above fourth in the draft.
It is my opinion that acquiring Tavares is a better option because we'd also be free of some of our horrendous contracts at the end of Tavares' 1st contract and if we have a player of his ilk, players may want to come here to play with a player like John. This is a chance to start from scratch and have 2 superb building blocks while also freeing up enough salary to sign some key UFA's and ice a competitive team while Gagner and Tavares grow into formidable forces at the NHL level.
It's time that the Oilers have their very own budding young superstar, this seems like the best possible time to get one. The ball is in your court Tambellini.
