Oilers select Taylor Hall with No. 1 pick

LOS ANGELES - The Edmonton Oilers are going to start rebuilding with Taylor Hall.

General manager Steve Tambellini selected the Windsor Spitfires winger with the first overall pick at the NHL draft on Friday night.

The Oilers finished 30th in the NHL standings last season and had the No. 1 selection for the first time in their history.

With the second selection, the Boston Bruins took Plymouth Whalers centre Tyler Seguin. The pick was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Phil Kessel deal.

Scouts struggled all year to choose between Hall and Seguin and Tambellini didn't tip his hand about which way he was leaning until taking the podium at Staples Center.

The NHL's Central Scouting Bureau had Seguin ahead of Hall in its final rankings.

• 

  Taylor Hall, center, with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, left, was the first pick by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2010 NHL National Hockey League draft. (AP / Reed Saxon)

• 

  Team Canada's Taylor Hall, centre, celebrate his third goal with teammates Jordan Eberle, left, and Alex Pietrangelo past Team Slovakia goaltender Tomas Halasz as Slovakia's defenceman Ivan Jankovic looks on during second period action at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Saskatoon, Sask., on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette