by Alan AdamsFiled under: Oilers, NHL Draft
There's a sense of excitement surrounding the Edmonton Oilers as the opening of training camp nears and it's certainly been awhile since anybody got excited about the storied NHL team.
The Oilers have cleaned house after finishing last season as the worst team in the NHL, and there's a sense of renewal as the franchise welcomes a hat trick of young and promising rookies in Taylor Hall, 18, Jordan Eberle, 20, and Magnus Paajarvi, 19.
General manager Steve Tambellini hasn't promised any of his hyped greenhorns a spot on the opening night roster but the team handed each of the NHL wannabes the number they will wear on their Oilers jerseys in a high-profile event this week.
Hall, the top pick in the NHL Draft in June, will become only the second player in team history to wear No. 4, which was last worn by team president Kevin Lowe during the Oilers' golden years. Lowe, a former defenceman and the Oilers' first-ever draft pick, won five Stanley Cups wearing No. 4 with the Oilers and won another Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994. He retired as a player after the 1997-98 season.
"This wasn't difficult by any stretch," said Lowe of handing down his old number. I know I'm excited to see No. 4 back out on the ice again. The first time I saw him play, I just thought, 'Wow, it's odd that a forward looks good in No. 4.' "
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