The Edmonton Oilers would look different if the 2015 draft went another way.
The Edmonton Oilers have made their fair share of bad deals. Some of them have been forced due to salary cap or roster issues. Several have been egregious missteps.
The chief of poor trades was Peter Chiarelli. Many cite the Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson trade as his worst, but at least he received something of great value in return. Larsson proved his worth as a rugged stay-at-home defender. He spent most of his time in Edmonton paired with Oscar Klefbom - the two-way number one defender who retired due to shoulder injuries. (Although he did not make an official retirement announcement, he did not renew his contract when it ran out in the summer).
Probably the worst trade that Chiarelli made was acquiring defenseman Griffin Reinhart for the 16th overall and 33rd overall picks in the 2015 NHL entry draft. After drafting Connor McDavid first overall, Chiarelli had his sights set on a defenseman. Ultimately Reinhardt's NHL career was short lived as he couldn't quite cut it in the big leagues.
Mathew Barzal.The New York Islanders traded their 33rd overall pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning and used the 16th overall pick to draft, Mathew Barzal.
In 433 NHL games Barzal has collected 372 points. I don't know about you, but I think the Oilers could have used that offense this year and the six years previous.
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