2012 NHL Draft Order: Which Prospect Will Go No. 1?

Those Edmonton Oilers have done it again, stealing the top spot in the NHL draft. It's time to temper all that excitement because there is no clear-cut No. 1 prospect heading into the draft this year. 

The Oilers will certainly enjoy the No. 1 pick, but they are far more hopeful that third time is a charm, and the new-found talent will have them well out of next year's lottery. 

The only problem is that there really isn't a game-changing players out there that will shift the landscape of the NHL in an instant. 

The best they can hope for is added depth with a solid player like Nail Yakupov, but he is nowhere near a complete player that can handle the pressure of a No. 1 selection. 

He continues to be the presumed pick, but an NHL scout recently explained the plight to ESPN. 

"

It may be one of those years when winning the lottery maybe actually make your life more difficult. 

He (Yakupov) has the physical attributes to play in the NHL. But is he ready for the expectations? He might actually be better going to an established team. 

"

ESPN's Craig Custance provides another hiccup to an odd victory that doesn't necessarily make the Oilers all that more powerful after the draft. 

"

The top of the draft is forward-heavy, which doesn't exactly help the Oilers either. They'd love to add a franchise defenseman to their impressive crop of young stars up front, but I don't know if you can take Ryan Murray with that first overall pick. Maybe this should be the year the Oilers trade out of that top spot.

"

There should never be any amount of whining when you luck out and beat the odds for the third time in a row. 

However, this is the perfect spot for the Oilers to trade down and get a player or two that can really infuse the team with talent where it is needed. 

If not, you go with the most seasoned player in Yakupov and hope that he can fit in and live up to expectations. 

If you were to ask who goes first in the draft, it would have to be Yakupov. As far as if the Oilers are the team that takes him, that is a different matter altogether. 

Follow @gabezal