Oilers willing to trade No. 10 pick for NHL defenseman, GM says

DALLAS -- The Edmonton Oilers are willing to trade the No. 10 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft if it means landing a proven NHL defenseman in return, general manager Peter Chiarelli said Thursday.

"We would look to move the pick if the right player is available, NHL player, defenseman, is available. … I've had some discussions with some teams," Chiarelli said.
The first round of the draft is here Friday (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVAS) and continues with rounds 2-7 on Saturday (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS).
Chiarelli said he doesn't mind if the player shoots right or left, because finding the proper trade for an offensive defenseman who can run the power play is a difficult task.

"Those types of players are hard to find," he said. "With the way the NHL is going, they're becoming more valuable."
Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis is the Oilers' primary target, TSN reported Thursday. Predators GM David Poile has said Nashville wants to to re-sign Ellis, who has one year remaining on his contract.
"There's been a lot of chatter this week and we've been involved in the chatter. … We'll see where it goes," Chiarelli said.
If the Oilers are unable to make a trade and do keep the pick, Chiarelli said they will take the best player available rather than address a positional need. The latest NHL.com mock draft had the Oilers selecting defenseman Adam Boqvist.
There will be at least one roster spot available after the Oilers placed defenseman Eric Gryba on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract buyout.
"We just didn't see him fitting on our team this year," Chiarelli said.