Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia StingTim Fraser/The Globe and Mail
He has been the consensus No. 1 choice for months, but in the hours leading up to Friday's first round of the NHL draft, where Nail Yakupov is going to be taken is up in the air.
Some here in Pittsburgh believe all of the chatter is nonsense, and the Edmonton Oilers will in fact take him at No. 1.
Others believe the Oilers have their hearts set on adding a defenceman and that, in taking Ryan Murray at the top of the draft, Yakupov could fall as far as third or fourth in the draft. (Another option is they potentially trade down.)
Here's a quick look through where the teams with top 10 picks stand in advance of Round 1, which gets going at 7 p.m.:
1. Edmonton Oilers - It's down to two players, but GM Steve Tambellini isn't tipping his hand who they'll go with. It still sounds unlikely they trade down – the scuttlebutt is the asking price is too high – so expect them to go with either Yakupov or Murray. (If they do find a way to move down, Griffin Reinhart is a possibility.) I'd still put the odds at 60 to 70 per cent on Yakupov at this point, but many are convinced they'll go with the blueliner.
2. Columbus Blue Jackets - The complicating factor for Columbus here is they aren't crazy about taking Yakupov at No. 2. The late stage interviews they went through with him were apparently pretty tense, and after the failures of others like Nik Zherdev and Nikita Filatov, the Blue Jackets really don't want another Russian with a high pick. If Edmonton takes Yakupov, however, expect Columbus to go with Murray. If Edmonton takes Murray, however, it's believed Howson will either trade down or simply take Alex Galchenyuk at No. 2.
3. Montreal Canadiens - Depending on the scenario, that leaves the Canadiens with some interesting options. Obviously if Yakupov falls, he becomes an intriguing choice, but I'm hearing the Habs are also high on Galchenyuk, Filip Forsberg and Teuvo Teravainen (likely in that order).
4. New York Islanders - The Isles have been perhaps the hardest team to get a read on, as GM Garth Snow isn't saying all that much. (He's one of the few GMs I haven't seen around town yet this week.) It's believed they'd like a forward to play with John Tavares, so Forsberg seems like a fit if he falls that far. (Or Yakupov, obviously.) If Columbus trades down, however, all bets are off.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs - The Leafs appear resigned to staying at No. 5 given the asking prices to move up, but with Brian Burke, you never know. My sense is they'd like to get either Galchenyuk or Forsberg in this spot, but one of those two may not fall this far. If it comes to that, bet on them taking a defenceman despite their needs up front.
6. Anaheim Ducks - A year after trading away Jake Gardiner to the Leafs, the Ducks will now lose Justin Schultz to free agency, creating a hole for blueline prospects in the organization. The good news is there are a ton who could be available here. Morgan Rielly is one name that stands out, but they could also have their eye on Reinhart or Mathew Dumba as well.
7. Minnesota Wild - The Wild are another team that should wind up with a quality defenceman in this spot, although Mikhail Grigorenko is a real wild card in that no one knows how far he'll fall. Consider Rielly, Reinhart, Dumba and Jacob Trouba as possibilities to add to their prospect pool.
8. Carolina Hurricanes - The Hurricanes were willing to move this pick in a deal for help up front, but that doesn't appear to be materializing. GM Jim Rutherford has said for months his main goal is to get someone to play with Eric Staal, although don't expect that to be his target in the draft. Expect them to take the best player available, which should be one of the solid defensive prospects that fall to eight. (They've interviewed all three of Rielly, Reinhart and Dumba recently.)
9. Winnipeg Jets - A forward makes sense for the Jets, although a lot depends on what happens above them with the first eight picks. If Grigorenko somehow drops this far, he could be a good fit. Radek Faksa, a big forward with a lot of character, is another option.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning - Steve Yzerman sounded Thursday like a man very comfortable with picking 10th and 19th in this draft so don't expect much movement here. My sense is they're looking to grab at least one of the highly touted defencemen here, with Sweden's Hampus Lindholm a likely candidate.