Rating the NHL rumor: Oilers, Blue Jackets could swap picks

Ever since the Edmonton Oilers won the NHL Draft Lottery and ended up with the No. 1 overall pick for a third straight year, there has been a ton of discussion as to what they will do with the pick.

Russian forward Nail Yakupov is the consensus top prospect, but he doesn't fit Edmonton's biggest need (defense), which has sparked rumors and speculation that the pick could be on the market.

The latest rumor comes from Yahoo's Kelly Friesen on Tuesday evening.

A WHL executive told me to expect the Oilers to swap picks with Columbus and draft Ryan Murray. Take it for what it's worth.

— Kelly Friesen (@KellyFriesen) May 22, 2012

This at least seems very possible, if not probable.

Whether it's the right move for Edmonton is an entirely different argument (I'd argue that it's not), but it seems like one that could very easily happen.

The Oilers seem determined to add a defenseman early in the draft to complement their young forwards, and team president Kevin Lowe recently raved about Murray during the World Championships, where the defenseman saw time on Canada's national team.



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