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Who will the Oilers lose in the Expansion Draft?
- By Phil Austin
With the coming of yet another Expansion draft this Saturday, the Oilers stand to lose 2 players to the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Edmonton Oilers seem to have a deal worked out with the Minnesota Wild; a compsnesation package for Doug Risebrough signing on to become the first GM of the Wild. Because of this, the Wild will probably not take anybody significant from the Edmonton Oilers. The Blue Jackets are another story however, and they have free game on the current Oilers squad. There have been many rumours circulating on who the Oilers could lose. Below, I have listed the significant players left unprotected by the Edmonton Oilers:
1. Boyd Devereaux - They could stand to lose the little hard-working Oiler to the Blue Jackets. I personally believe that the Oilers inflated his injury to career-threatening in hopes that his concussion related problems might scare the Blue Jackets off. Until I hear Boyd himself say that his career is over, I am a skeptic.
2. Jim Dowd - When Dowd made the club at the beginning of the year, I thought his spot in the lineup wsa only there for him to fulfill the quota that all unprotected players must meet of 70 games played in the last 2 years. The only problem is that he had to complicate things by turning out to be quite a little surprise. Plugging away on the 4th line with Devereaux and Georges Laraque, he turned into a solid 2-way center, and proved his worth even more in the playoffs versus Dallas, scoring 2 clutch goals. I believe that the Blue Jackets will take either him or:
3. Alex Selivanov - This guy floated a lot, and had an up-and-down season. When he was on his game early and late in the season, he was arguably the Oilers best forward. During his mid-season slump, he was constantly in Kevin Lowe's doghouse, and couldn't buy a goal. I think that the Blue Jackets could take him simply because of his skill. There aren't too many 27-goal scorers available in any expansion draft, and they can't be picky. The Minnesota Wild could also take him via the deal they have with the Oilers by signing him. The Oilers have made it no secret that they don't want Selly on their squad anymore, and may have worked out a deal to have the Wild eye this fellow. This would solve a money problem, as Selly is a free agent at the end of the season, and the Oil ceratinly will not give him the raise he'll be asking for. This could free up money to sign the host of other Oilers that are also free agents.
4. Patrick Cote - He was picked up on GM Kevin Lowe's first ever deal. He was acquired to satisfy the need to expose a certain amount of playes whom had played more than 70 games the past 2 seasons. I don't think either the Wild nor Blue Jackets will bite though. He's already been taken by Nashville in 1998.
5. German Titov - Don't look for anybody to touch him. He has skill, but is also an unresricted free agent on July 1st, and the selecting team could stand to lose the veteran for nothing. They won't waste a perfectly good pick on him.
6. Alain Nasraddine - Like Patrick Cote, this guy was packaged off simply to be exposed in the expansion draft. Watch the Wild, they may be pressured to pick him by the Oilers.
There may be a few other significants that I cannot remember offhand, but they're unimportant. My personal feeling on who will be selected is this: The Wild will take minor-leaguer Alain Nasraddine. The Columbus Blue Jackets will select either Jim Dowd or Alex Selivanov. I'm so caught between these two guys that I can't make a decision. But I am sure of this: either Dowd or Selivanov will no longer be Oilers come Saturday.
Here's hoping to great expansion draft that doesn't nip the Oilers too hard!
Agree? Disagree? Voice your opinions on the message board