The Edmonton Oilers are only three games into the season, but Stan Bowman is already scanning the market for help up front.
That’s the word from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, who said Saturday night that Edmonton is exploring a possible trade for a depth forward while also trying to make use of its crowded blue line. The idea, as Friedman put it, is a “lateral trade,” with a defenceman potentially going out in exchange for a forward.
“Edmonton has a lot of [defence] and some forward injuries,” Friedman said. “They have explored a lateral trade, is the phrase I’ve heard, maybe a defenceman for a forward. Their forwards are not out long-term, so it’s not like they’re panicked to do it.
“If there is a lateral [defence] for forward move they can make with their depth players, they will look at it.”
The Oilers have opened the year with a 2-0-1 record and five points, good enough to sit atop the NHL standings after wins over the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken. Their lone blemish came in an overtime loss in the home opener, but they’ve steadied quickly and matched their start from last season through three games.
Even with that early success, Edmonton appears willing to keep tweaking the roster. This does not sound like a blockbuster swing. The top of the defence group - Evan Bouchard, Mattias Ekholm, Connor Murphy, Jake Walman, and Ryan Shea - looks firmly off the table.
The more realistic movement would come from the bottom end of the depth chart, where Shakir Mukhamadullin, Ty Emberson, and Spencer Stastney are all battling for one NHL spot. That squeeze has already shown itself in the lineup decisions. Mukhamadullin played the first two games before being replaced by Emberson in Saturday’s win over Seattle, while Stastney has been a healthy scratch in all three contests and is still waiting for his season debut.
No specific targets were named, but Friedman floated the idea that a team in a rough spot, such as the Detroit Red Wings, could fit the bill, with former Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff running things there.
There’s no sense of urgency from Edmonton right now, but the message is clear: Bowman is looking for ways to improve the club early, not waiting around for the season to tell him what he already suspects.
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