The Edmonton Oilers are already working the phones.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday night that the club is checking the trade market, with forward depth now the priority because of injuries up front. The idea, according to Friedman, is not a major shake-up but a “lateral trade” - moving a defenceman out and bringing a forward back.
“Edmonton has a lot of D, and some forward injuries. They have explored a lateral trade, is the phrase I’ve heard, maybe a defenceman for a forward,” said Friedman during a Headlines segment in the second intermission of the Oilers game against Seattle. “The forwards are not out long term, so it’s not like they’re panicked to do it, but if there is a lateral D-for-forward move they can make with their depth players, they will look at it.”
The need is tied to the absences of Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Matt Saovie, while third-line centre Jason Dickinson is still working his way back from injury. Friedman said the injuries are not expected to keep those players out long term, but Edmonton was likely headed toward a move anyway.
One reason is the shape of the roster on the blue line. The Oilers are carrying eight waiver-eligible defencemen, which gives them some flexibility to deal from that group if the right forward becomes available.
Among that defence group, Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Ryan Shea, Connor Murphy and Jake Walman would be viewed as the safer bets to stay put. That leaves Shakir Mukhamadullin, Ty Emberson and Spencer Stastney as the names in the mix.
Mukhamadullin may be the likeliest of the three to hold his spot, after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the Darnell Nurse trade this summer. Emberson is in his third season with the Oilers and took steps forward last year in a depth role. Stastney arrived last December from the Nashville Predators in a deal for a third-round pick, and he joined Edmonton on the same day the team moved depth defenceman Brett Kulak in a trade for Tristan Jarry.
Edmonton has already taken a swing at improving its forward group, signing Alex Formenton, and the team appears to be open to more adjustments if a deal lines up.
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Oilers Already Face One Roster Question Despite Hot Start
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For now, it sounds more like a monitoring exercise than an urgent push. Edmonton does not have any long-term forward absences to force its hand, and no specific trade targets have surfaced, which leaves Bowman with the luxury of patience even while he explores the market. The Oilers can live with the roster as constructed in the short term, but the early read suggests this is one of those situations worth watching before it becomes a bigger issue later. [Read more 🡒]