Kyle Brodziak has been traded to Minnesota in exchange for the 99th and 133rd overall pick in this years draft. We're not sure what has triggered the move, other than to assume that possibly the Oilers realize they have an excess at the center position and Brodziak is an RFA.

More to come as we hear whether this was just a simple move up, or if more peices are to follow.

#1 - New York Islanders - John Tavares - C - London
Tavares has been facing huge expectations his entire life. This will not change as he will be expected to take the laughing stock Islanders back to respectability.

#2 - Tampa Bay Lightning - Victor Hedman - D - Modo
The 6'6" defenceman will likely step right onto the Lighting's roster and will be a mainstay on their top defensive pairing for years to come.

#3 - Colorado Avalanche - Matt Duchene - C - Brampton
Easily the most complete player in the draft, Duchene will we a welcome addition in the mile-high city and will make an amazing 1-2 punch along side Paul Stastny.

#4 - Atlanta Thrashers - Evander Kane - C - Vancouver
Size, skill, heart, this kid's got it all. With a skill set along the lines of a Jerome Iginla, look for him to be playing on the top line with Bryan Little very soon.

#5 - Los Angeles Kings - Braydon Schenn - C - Brandon
A future heart and soul player in the mold of Mike Richards, Braydon Schenn will be a welcome addition on an already young and talented Kings core.

#6 - Phoenix Coyotes - Oliver Ekman-Larson - D - Leksand
The best two-way defenseman in the draft, nobody's stock rose higher in this draft than Ekman-Larson. Another high end prospect to add to the stable in Phoenix.

#7 - Toronto Maple Leafs - Nazim Kadri - C - London
A pure sniper with elite level skills, the only knock on Kadri is a perceived level of inconsistancy. It will be up to the the Leafs to mold him into the pure offensive player that he can be.

#8 - Dallas Stars - Scott Glennie - RW - Brandon
A highly skilled finesse player, Glennie in a couple of years will be a huge boost for the offensively challenged Stars.

#9 - Ottawa Senators - Jared Cowan - D - Spokane
A big, hard-nosed, puck moving defenseman. Just what the doctor ordered in the nation's capitol.

#10 - Edmonton Oilers - Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson - LW - Timra
One of the fastest skaters in the draft. Although a couple of years from playing in the NHL he will soon be an impact offensive player for the Edmonton Oilers.

#11 - Nashville Predators - Ryan Ellis - D - Windsor
Don't let his size fool you, this kid proved at the world junior tournament that his puck skills are off the chart. Give him a couple years to fill out and he'll be blasting bombs from the point for the Predators.

#12 - New York Islanders - Calvin DeHaan - D - Oshawa
This kid's got a great skill set including outstanding foot speed, a great first past, and outstanding potential. All he needs is 2 or 3 years to fill out his frame to be NHL ready.

#13 - Buffalo Sabres - Zack Kassian - RW - Peterbourough
Another of the big risers in this year's draft. Kassian is a skilled power forward with a big time mean streak. This kid will run right through you if you're not careful.

#14 - Florida Panthers - Dmitry Kulikov - D - Drummondville
This guy's off the charts talented. If he didn't have a Russian name he would have been picked much earlier.

#15 - Anaheim Ducks - Peter Holland - C - Guelph
A big man with big time skills. The only question is whether this kid's got a tool kit to go along with his tools.

#16 - Minnesota - Nick Leddy - D - Eden Prairie
This year's USHL's Mr. Hockey is a hard skating mobile defenseman. Will he be able to dominate in higher levels than high school?

#17 - St Louis Blues - David Rundblad - D - Skelleftea
Rundblad is this year's Swedish offering of the power play specialist. He moves the puck with confidence and has an incredibly accurate shot.

#18 - Montreal Canadiens - Lous Leblanc - C - Omaha
This smart, skilled centre will be attending Harvard in the fall.

#19 - New York Rangers - Chris Kreider - C - Andover
Hands down the fastest skater in this year's draft, Kreider will be leaving high school and will need to prove himself at a higher level of competition.

#20 - New Jersey Devils - Jacob Josefson - C - Djurgarden
A dynamic two-way player. All-around good skills with the puck, but it's his character that will make him a great proffesional.

#21 - Colombus Bluejackets - John Moore - D - Chicago
An offensive defenceman with outstanding skating ability. This kid was ranked much higher by most accounts.

#22 - Vancouver Canucks - Jordan Schroeder - C - Minnesota
A complete hockey player with great offensive and defensive skills. Schroeder can fill the net with the best of them and although is small by NHL standards, has a powerful core that should carry him far.

#23 - Calgary Flames - Tim Erixon - D - Skelleftea
A smart defensive defensman, he plays a solid game and moves the puck down the ice with authority. His father was an NHL defenseman with the Rangers for a decade.

#24 - Washington Capitols - Marcus Johanson - C - Farjestad
A shifty and technically sound centre. He should round out to be a solid playmaker in the NHL.

#25 - Boston Bruins - Jordon Caron - RW - Rimouski
A big strong winger to complement an already talented forward core in Boston.

#26 - Anaheim Ducks - Kyle Palmieri - RW/C - US18
A smart two-way player, his greatest assets are his drive and tenacity.

#27 - Carolina Hurricanes - Philippe Paradis - C - Shawinigan
A solid offensive player with a wicked shot.

#28 - Chicago Blackhawks - Dylan Olsen - D - Camrose
A physical hard-nosed defenceman with a respectable amount of offensive ability.

#29 - Tampa Bay Lightning - Carter Ashton - RW - Lethbridge
Another 2nd generation NHL'er, he has the size and ability to dominate along the boards. Consistancy can be a bit of an issue.

#30 - Pittsburgh Penguins - Simon Despres - D - St Johns
Great NHL size and mobility. He should develop into a solid all-around defenceman.

Summary Report thanks go out to our good friends at pacificprospectshockey.blogspot.com

With the 10th overall pick the Edmonton Oilers select MAGNUS PAAJARVI-SVENSSON out of Sweden. Known as a speedy skilled Swede, he has the ability to freeze defenders with his first move and fly past them with a series of good skilled moves. Central scouting compares his to a Mike Gartner type player, which is high praise.

A prospect the Oilers always had their eyes on, their inability to move up in the draft for Evander Kane, meant that their original draft spot at #10. Also interested in Scott Glennie who was somewhat of a surprise pick by the Dallas Stars, the Oilers were pleasantly surprised to have Paajarivi-Svensson available at #10.

A ways from being an NHL player, Magnus has another year on his contract in Sweden and the Oilers have no desire to rush him onto the team before he's ready and fully developed. The Oilers next pick at 40th overall could land them a number of different players as the order of the draft starts to jump off the board a bit.

It is now official. The Anaheim Ducks have traded defenceman Chris Pronger to the Philadelphia Flyers for Luca Sbisa, Joffrey Lupul and two first-round picks. Pronger spent three seasons with the Ducks, winning the Stanley Cup in 2006-07.

How Philadelphia fits Pronger underneath the cap is anyone's guess, but that almost guarantees the need to move more than Lupul to clear the space. With Briere almost impossible to move thanks to his high cap hit, Hartnell and possibly Simon Gagne seem to be the most logical options and we could see this happening as the draft progesses.

The Kaberle for Kessel trade also seems to be dead in the water. More to come...

While there is nothing confirmed, some quick hits are coming out of the draft regarding the Oilers and some possbile movement.

The Oilers are really high on Evander Kane. They are making a bunch of calls trying to get up to the #5 spot, possibly the number 4. Should they be working with LA (a team they have a lot of history with) the talk is that Sheldon Souray plus the number #10 to LA for the #5 overall pick plus a roster player. Not sure what that something else is, but the Oilers are interested in Dustin Brown and Frolov.

Should they think that Evander Kane won'tbe available at #5, expect a push up one more spot with Atlanta to #4. What is being offered there if anything so far is undetermined.

Heatley trade talks have really slowed down with all teams including the Oilers. Much like when Pronger was traded, the value for Heatley is at an all time low and Bryan Murray and the Heatley camp may really have handcuffed themselves. If Heatley is moved don't expect a lot going back as was previously rumoured. The chances are, Heatley may actually stay in Ottowa.

More to come as news comes in...

TSN and a number of hockey insiders are reporting that a handful of teams have expressed interest in Tomas Kaberle of the Toronto Maple Leafs. One comment involves a team calling Brian Burke and asking him to name his price.

Is Edmonton in on this sudden, somewhat surprising interest in Kaberle? Despite Kaberle's name being thrown around at the time Lowe was looking to trade Chris Pronger, the answer is a resounding no -- for many reasons.

Despite the fact that Burke and those involved in management may still be at odds and a trade is less likely involving our respective GM's than maybe any other teams, the Oilers are not in the need for a defensemen of Kaberle's ilk like they were when trying to move Pronger. Visnovsky, Souray, Grebeshkov and Gilbert were hardly specks on the Oilers radar at that time and there seems to be no reason to add another $4.25 million dollar cap hit to the team on defense.

A fine d-man in his own right, Kaberle had missed a number of games last year due to injury and at his best put up 67 points in one year. While that outweighs the production of our d-core with the exception of Visnovsky who was able to match that point production with 67 in 2005/2006 or Souray who came close in Montreal with 64 points in 2006/2007; it isn't something the Oilers feel would improve the team.

Rumours are abound at this years draft and starting to really heat up, but Kaberle and the Oilers is not something fans should expect to see or frankly even consider.

Teams to think about might be Florida to replace Jay Bouwmeester and have a fairly good pick in this years draft to use as bait, Anahiem who we know plans to move Pronger at some point, and Atlanta who could use a puck moving defenceman like Kaberle at a respectable cap hit. Only time will tell, but expect a lot of movement, which seems to be obvious is now going to overshadow the draft itself.

I am getting older, and I probably think like an old guy. That is, my values are different from many others. But let me offer a different perspective on the question of the day: what should the Oilers do at the draft?

Let’s call this my Al Kaline blog. I know that young readers probably don’t know who Al Kaline is. But you should look him up on Google. He is in the Baseball Hall of Fame; led the American League in Batting Average in 1955; and played 22 years (from 1953 to 1974) – all with the Detroit Tigers. And, it is that last point that I like – he played all 22 years with the same team – the Detroit Tigers. Wake up on Tuesday, and Al Kaline is a Detroit Tiger. In the off-season, Al Kaline is a Detroit Tiger. No matter when – Al Kaline is and was ALWAYS a Detroit Tiger.

This reminds me of the old Oilers before Pocklington started to erode the family. Gretzky, Messier, Fuhr, etc. I don’t care where they played for the rest of their careers – they were all Oilers. To me, always Oilers! When you see an Oiler jersey retired – you have a sense of the spirit I am talking about.

Now here we are facing a draft and the rumors are going around who the Oilers need, who they can get, who they will trade for, how the cap space works. It all tires me out, and it sure doesn’t fit my values. What I want are young kids who start as Oilers and end as Oilers.

I want Tom Gilbert to stay an Oiler. I want Horcoff to stay an Oiler.

I want Hemsky to stay an Oiler. Brodziak – Oiler. Cogliano and Gagner - Oilers! Moreau, Nilsson, O'Sullivan, Pisani, Reddox, Stortini, and even Penner and Pouliot – keep em. All Oilers!!

Goalies? Perhaps it is time to see what Deslauriers (all 6' 4" of this young kid) is made of. Keep Roloson – I know he felt unwanted two years ago, but if he is who I think he might be, convince him to stay in Oiler blue and orange. He seems like a good guy – a team guy – a family guy. Have him bring his wife and kids back – because we want him to be part of our community and city. His best days were as an Oiler and he loves being depended upon. Maybe he can squeeze one more year out of himself – and we can draft another young kid who might turn out to be another Andy Moog.

On Defense – I love Grebeshkov. I watched him turn into a player from a kid who turned over the puck every game. I like him! Keep him!

Chorney, Peckham, Souray, Strudwick, Smid, Visnovsky. I love them as players – with all their ups and downs – keep em all! Staios – perhaps he is slowing down and getting by more on smarts than speed these days. Keep him, too. And when he can no longer skate well enough – make him a coach to teach other D-Men how to be as smart and tough as he is.

For me, hockey is about hanging out with my family – with something to watch. It isn’t and never will be life or death. And I hate it that is becoming only a business. I want sport to represent more – community, teamwork, competition in the best sense. These are my Oilers, and the more I am a fan the more I want to think of them as a family. I think of Ladi Smid as a good kid – a person – someone who tries so darn hard and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t work. But, he is in there pitching – never quitting. This is not a bad role model as young Edmonton boys grow up from ten to twenty.

Here is what I want the Oilers to do. Stand pat. Draft what they need and keep who they have. I will be a fan if they make the playoffs or if they don’t. But I want too root for Gagner and Cogliano this year – and next year – and for a lot of years.

Draft smart. And, don’t play like the other clubs – give the Oilers back to the fans and take them away from the accountants. Let’s bring back the days when everyone knew who the Oilers were and when players wanted to be drafted to play in Edmonton because, well, we were the Oilers – and because we are different.

While news has been running rampant over speculation of what was going to happen with Dany Heatley, Ryan Rishaug of TSN seems to have broken a tid bit live from the draft in Montreal that the Minnesota Wild are putting together a bid to bring the goal scoring forward west, essentially replacing Marian Gaborik who is on the way out.

This news comes also with word that the Oilers and Steve Tambellini have had second thoughts about aquiring Heatley in a trade thanks to reports and further due diligence that Heatley comes with too much baggage to give up much in terms of Oilers heading to the Senators.

Reporting that Heatley was tremendously out of shape towards the end of the season last year, coupled with some personal off the ice issues, the Oilers are having second thoughts and either a) feel that money can be better spent in other places or that the asking price is too steep considering the newly discovered issues and the $4 million bonus due to Heatley on July 1st.

So where does this leave Edmonton in the mix? Well its possible that Tambellini may now decide to go after a forward like Marian Hossa or sign Jay Bouwmeester and trade one of his three defencemen in Visnovsky, Souray or Gilbert to improve the forward position.

No matter what happens, the Heatley possibilities moved from what might be considered a good possibility to less than a 5% chance that anything with the 50 goal scorer will happen.