Will Ken Holland Move Back In The First Round Of This Year’s Entry Draft?

Hi everyone. It’s been a few days. Let’s dive back in.

In an interview with The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman, Ken Holland has indicated that he’d be willing to move back from the 14th overall pick (but remain in the first round) in this year’s draft.

I think that’s a clear signal that he’s ready to make a deal. If he moves down, he’ll likely want to recoup one of those second round selections (or even a third, should he decide to defer this year’s third to Calgary to complete the Lucic trade).

When do the Oilers draft in 2020?

14th - (1st round)

76th - (3rd*)

147th -(5th)

178th - (6th)

209th - (7th)

Here’s a couple of scenarios that might play out.

• Edmonton trades their 14th pick to the Vegas Golden Knights for their first rounder (TBD) and the 68th overall pick.

Vegas hasn’t yet finished the playoffs, and it’s a good bet that the highest their first round draft pick comes in the mid-20s overall. The Golden Knights would move up what could be more than ten spaces, and it would only cost them their third rounder which was originally New Jersey’s selection in the Nikita Gusev trade.

It’s not a second round pick, but having a couple of thirds could make letting go of a third rounder to Calgary a little more palatable. I don’t think Holland is going to do that, and he’d add one more total pick to make six in this year’s draft. The Oilers have two picks in the sixth round of 2021, they could toss one of those in if Vegas needed another pick in the deal to make it work.

• Edmonton trades their 14th and 76th pick to Montreal for their 16th overall pick and the 61st overall pick

If the Habs see something they can’t ignore at 14, they might opt to send their sixteenth pick to the Oilers along with a pick that used to belong to the Blues at 61. The Oilers would drop a couple of spots and pick up a late second rounder, though it would end up costing them their third round pick in this year’s draft.

• Edmonton trades their 14th pick to the NY Rangers for their 23rd overall (Carolina) and 72nd overall picks.

The Rangers don’t have a second round pick this year, but they’ve got the 86th overall pick in a trade with Dallas, and their 72nd overall pick. The Rangers already have the first overall pick with which they’ll likely draft Alexis Lafreniere, they currently have nine other selections. Would there be any interest in them jumping up nine spots to 14 overall?

Holland might get extra creative and combine a player to another team in a package deal. One thing is clear; if we’re to believe his word, it sounds like he’s he’s trying to move back in the first round in order to make up some ground (or pick up another pick) in the second or third. If he wants to move a player, a flat cap will limit the number of teams he can call. The unwanted distraction of having to hand over a third round pick to Calgary will also be a factor in any moves made.

Holland will likely have a few dance partners who will show interest in moving up.

Can he swing a deal?