The Edmonton Oilers' selection of Connor McDavid first overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft marked a pivotal moment for the franchise. However, that same draft also saw a move that, with the benefit of hindsight, stands as one of the most significant blunders of the McDavid era: the trade for Griffin Reinhart.

On June 26, 2015, the Oilers traded their first-round pick (16th overall) and second-round pick (33rd overall) to the New York Islanders in exchange for Reinhart, a 21-year-old defenseman who had been drafted fourth overall by the Islanders in 2012. At the time, the Oilers, led by then-new General Manager Peter Chiarelli, believed they were acquiring a future top-four defenseman to bolster their blueline. Reinhart had a strong junior career with the Edmonton Oil Kings, making him a familiar face to the Oilers organization and fans.

However, Reinhart never lived up to the expectations in Edmonton. He played just 29 NHL games for the Oilers before being exposed and ultimately claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Reinhart's inability to establish himself as an NHL regular made the trade look questionable.

What truly exacerbates the pain of the Reinhart trade is the caliber of players the Oilers missed out on by trading away those draft picks. With the 16th overall pick, the Islanders selected Mathew Barzal, who has since become a star forward and a cornerstone of their franchise. Barzal is known as one of the NHL's premier play-driving forwards.

The missed opportunities didn't stop there. Several other players selected after the 16th pick in that draft have gone on to have successful NHL careers, including Kyle Connor, Thomas Chabot, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Travis Konecny. While every draft pick is a gamble, the sheer number of quality players selected soon after the Oilers' original pick highlights the magnitude of the misjudgment.

The decision to trade for Reinhart reflected the Oilers' organizational impatience to improve their defense and support their newly drafted generational talent, Connor McDavid. Instead of waiting for prospects to develop through the draft, they opted for a player they believed was closer to being NHL-ready. This desire for a quick fix ultimately backfired, as Reinhart did not pan out, and the Oilers lost out on acquiring potential franchise cornerstones.

Nearly a decade later, the Reinhart trade serves as a stark reminder of the importance of draft pick management and the potential consequences of misjudging player evaluations. While Connor McDavid's presence has undoubtedly elevated the Oilers, the 2015 trade for Griffin Reinhart remains a significant "what if" moment, representing a missed opportunity to add even more talent to the roster during the McDavid era.