The Truth
But at the day, what is the truth behind all this? Here is the quote from Caggiula, courtesy of Jason Gregor.
"It reminded me of Grand Forks. I felt comfortable with the organization. People told me to follow my heart so I choose Edmonton. (Drake Caggiula, May 9th)"
Reality Check: Impact on the Draft
In reality, though Caggiula’s signing with the Oilers proved many faults in Vancouver, the practicality of the matter may be favorable.
So what are the chances the Oilers draft another forward with the number four pick now that Caggiula is in Edmonton for two years?
Not much, if you ask me. Olli Juolevi may have become the biggest possibility at number four, and more likely, the EDM pick is bound to get traded. Common sense tells me that the Arizona Coyotes could dangle a young defenseman (like Connor Murphy) to move up.
In case you didn’t catch the Canuck connection there, this means that Caggiula may just have secured a Pierre-Luc Dubois pick at number five.
RELATED: The Complete Draft Profile Compilation
Matthew Tkachuk is from Arizona. With the Yotes looking for top-notch talent to the left to Max Domi and Anthony Duclair, the fit is there for the new Coyotes GM to make a big splash in moving up to the number four.
Even before that happens, if Edmonton holds on, what are the odds that they draft Tkachuk or Dubois over Juolevi?
That question got easier to answer when the New York Islanders pulled top defenseman Travis Hamonic off the market on Tuesday. Good times to be an Oiler, eh? How y’a doing, Mr. Yakupov?
What does Caggiula become in Edmonton? A top-line forward? A middle-six winger with checking upside? A forward who never really blossoms with the Oilers as many other have before him? Who knows.
At the end of the day, no one knows what this dreaded loss of a promising left winger may ultimately turn out to mean for the Canucks and the dynamics of the Pacific Division.
Next: Mock Draft 2.0: Joun's Full First Round Projection
What we do know is that the Canucks have P/R training sessions to mail out to their fans, that free agency might be that much harder to compete in the Pacific, and the most assuring logic says prevails to say that the Canucks are that much closer to drafting their top option, none other than Pierre-Luc Dubois.