Things could get quite interesting once Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine are plucked off the NHL Draft board.
TSN's Darren Dreger reported Wednesday that the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks, who hold the third, fourth, and fifth picks, respectively, at the NHL Draft later this month, are listening, or at least willing to listen to offers for the lottery selections.
"I know that there are aggressive offers being made for the Blue Jackets' third pick overall," Dreger told TSN 1260. "I don't believe the Blue Jackets are even remotely close to considering moving that pick, but they have to listen, right?"
He qualified: "But it would take an unbelievable deal for Jarmo Kekalainen to move the third pick overall."
Dreger said that the Oilers and Canucks aren't shopping the selections, but having made it clear they want to ice a more competitive team next season, they could be more inclined to pull the trigger.
"Edmonton is more eager to move. They're not shopping the fourth pick overall, but certainly willing to listen. And obviously they would want a defenseman in return, whoever that might be," Dreger said.
"Vancouver is similar. Vancouver likes fifth overall. They know they're getting a very, very good player, but Jim Benning did not like being part of the non-playoff picture in the National Hockey League. He's going to do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Jesse Puljujarvi, Matthew Tkachuk, and Pierre-Luc Dubois are the top-rated forward prospects after Matthews and Laine.
