Team: 2018-19 Custom Team

Initial Creation Date: Jan. 30, 2019

Published: Feb. 4, 2019

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Remove all big FA signings he made.
Lucic gone
Sekera outta here
Russell bye bye
Koskinen no more
Kassian gone
Reider never existed

Reverse all big trades he made.
Hall for Larson
Eberle for Strome
1st (16 overall) + 2nd (33 overall) for Reinhart
2nd (53 overall) back as comp for not hiring Chia anymore.
2nd (57 overall) + 3rd (79 overall) for Talbot
(Note all picks are 2015 except for the 53 overall which is in 2017. Also when redrafting I will try and keep picks within 10 selections apart.)

So with all the picks back lets look at who the oilers couldve drafted.
- 16th overall could be one of many really good players like Barzal, Chabot, Boeser, Connor, Konecney or even Samsonov. All great picks for 16 but if I was doing the draft i wouldve drafted Chabot due to Oilers needing D and the original trade was for a dman so this pick makes most sense.
- 33rd overall would have to be none other then Aho himself who goes 35th to Car. With Aho being drafted this helps to potentially trade one of Hall or Eberle later on.
- 57th overall. Theres a few people that are interesting at this spot. You have Kylington, Bracco, Speers or Cirelli. As much as I would love to take Cirelli I dont see him becoming the player he is without TB help so I would choose Kylington at 57.
- 79th overall honestly doesnt matter no one there looks like they make NHL or at best becomes a depth FW so you can choose whoever.
- 53rd in 2017 pick Id choose Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to help strengthen goalie prospects.

Now we make some moves that wouldve been so much better.
- Make a trade with Ana during the 2016 draft. Hall + 3rd for Andersen + Manson. I know what your thinking that this would never happen because there in the same division but if your the ducks and you get offered Hall for a goalie your planning on trading anyway and a young dman that is good but you are deep with young talent i think theyd consider. Maybe you add a little but thats a starting point.
- Instead of going for Lucic i say you go after Grabner a fast winger who would excel beside mcdavid.
- Sign a back up goalie in Chad Johnson or whoever has respectable numbers.

So this is a basis of what the team could be if chia was never gm. Eberle could still be traded later on to afford contracts for Aho and Chabot. Bottom 2 lines arent actual lines its just impossible to predict depth moves and player to sign so focus on top 6 and top 4.