With the end of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Edmonton Oilers fans finally have a clear look at exactly what the Anaheim Ducks recieved when they declined to match the Dustin Penner offer-sheet. The first, second and third round picks that the Ducks recieved were in the 12th, 43rd, and 73rd positions. Burke traded that 3rd round pick to the Islanders at last season's trade deadline to acquire ex-Oiler Marc-Andre Bergeron, and then traded Bergeron to Minnesota for Minnesota's 3rd round pick prior to the draft.
At the draft, Burke made more moves, sending the 12th overall pick to L.A. for the 17th and 28th picks, and then swapping the 28th pick to Phoenix for the 35th and 39th picks. Some fans disapprove of evaluating trades this way, but I think what Burke does with the assets acquired is just as relevant as the actual picks made in the original Edmonton spots. Here is the Duck's total take:
*Marc-Andre Bergeron: 9 games, 1 assist, 4PIM, -2
*Jake Gardiner, 17th overall, a tall lanky defenseman with some offensive skills bound for the University of Wisconsin, and a guy who sounds like a classic "chaos" defenseman. Excellent skater with a good shot, and co-captain of his high school team.
*Nicholas Deschamps, 35th overall, an inconsistent forward labelled as a "project", but with high-end offensive skills.
*Eric O'Dell, 39th overall, a playmaking centre with good size, vision, and shot, but skating and strength issues, and question marks about his passion level
*Justin Schultz, 43rd overall, smart, offensive defenseman among the youngest players in the draft
*Brandon McMillan, 85th overall, hard-working, two-way centre with middling offensive ability
I'm actually a little surprised with the picks that were made by the Ducks- two of them (Deschamps and O'Dell) are reputed to have inconsistency/passion issues, while another, McMillan, doesn't seem to bring much offense. Schultz seems like an good pick, and Gardiner certainly has excellent upside, despite some questions about his hockey sense (THN called him a "riverboat gambler"). I guess only time will tell.