The Edmonton Oilers are getting mentioned in the same breath as a couple of major names this offseason, and both ideas point to the same thing: they may be looking for help in more than one place.
With Matt Savoie and Frederik Andersen both expected to miss time, Edmonton’s room to maneuver is not quite as simple as it looked a few weeks ago. That has opened the door, at least in rumor form, to a possible upgrade up front and in goal. Two names that have surfaced through local reporting are Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal floated the Marchenko angle and pointed to the winger’s link with Oilers forward Vasily Podkolzin, who played with Marchenko in Russia. Staples also cited Hart Levine’s PuckPedia, which suggested Edmonton could have the flexibility to pursue a player like Marchenko next season.
“It certainly looks like they would have room to add a piece like next season, and that’s why I think you see someone like, you know, Kirill Marchenko, if it became available. That’s someone that would be of interest because he’s on a pretty low deal right now, and then when you use an extension, they would have potentially the room to pay him.”
On the goaltending side, the Oilers were also brought up in connection with Hellebuyck. On the Bleed Oil Blue Podcast, Jets reporter Sean Reynolds was asked whether Hellebuyck would consider Edmonton as a trade destination and said he could if it offered a better path to the Stanley Cup.
Hellebuyck is 33, had a poor season in 2025-26, and has carried a significant workload throughout his career. He also helped Team USA win Olympic gold in 2026. If chasing a title is the priority, Edmonton could be a place worth thinking about, even as a Canadian market.
Elsewhere, the New York Rangers added another forward to the mix by signing Eeli Tolvanen to a one-year, $1.5 million deal. The 27-year-old spent last season with the Seattle Kraken and finished with 12 goals and 36 points in 78 games. His goal total fell from 23 in 2024-25, but he has still posted at least 35 points in three straight seasons.
For New York, it’s a low-risk move that brings in a proven middle-six option. Tolvanen also brings some flexibility.
There’s no indication the deal includes trade protection, which means he could be moved at the deadline if that becomes necessary. He finished second on Seattle with 187 hits, added 14 power-play points, and logged more than 80 minutes shorthanded last season.
And then there’s Brad Marchand doing what Brad Marchand does.
The Florida Panthers veteran took a swipe at Ottawa Senators star Tim Stützle after Stützle emerged as one of the finalists for Ottawa’s captaincy, alongside Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson. Marchand’s reaction on social media was blunt and not exactly subtle: “Hahaha….Stutzle… hahaha.”
The comment got attention fast, with Ottawa Citizen reporter Bruce Garrioch asking what Marchand’s issue with Stützle was. Sanderson is reportedly the frontrunner for the captaincy, with Chabot also drawing strong consideration. As for Marchand’s reason for jumping in, that part is still a mystery.
In Other News...
Kyle Connor Keeps Giving Jets Fans Another Reason To Love Him
Kyle Connor was back at Assiniboine Park on the weekend helping lead the third annual Team 81 Ride for Parkinsons, a community event that has grown far beyond its early roots. What started as an 11-person cycling trek has turned into a gathering of 90 riders, with this years effort raising more than $170,000 for U-Turn Parkinsons and its free wellness programs for Manitobans living with the disease.
For Connor, the cause is personal, and his commitment has made the ride about more than a summer event on the calendar. His work around Parkinsons-related initiatives has now helped bring in more than $400,000 overall, giving Jets fans another reason to appreciate him beyond what he does on the ice. [Read more 🡒]