The Oilers have a path to chase a real difference-maker if Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko actually hits the market.
That possibility has become more than just idle trade chatter around the NHL, where blockbuster moves have picked up steam in a way the league hasn’t seen in a long time. The source of the buzz is a summer packed with major names moving and even more high-end players being mentioned as possible trade candidates.
In that group are Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin, who submitted a trade request earlier this off season, and Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, who was rumored to want out before becoming the 2026 Norris Trophy winner. Marchenko is the latest name expected to be traded soon.
For Edmonton, the fit is obvious. Marchenko is 26, right in his prime, and he has been a steady goal scorer from the moment he arrived in the league.
He has scored at least 20 goals in each of his four NHL seasons, and in 2024-25 he posted a career-best line of 31 goals and 43 assists for 74 points in 79 games. That kind of production would slide neatly into a top-six role.
The bigger question is whether the Oilers can actually pull it off. They shouldn’t be dismissed too quickly.
Edmonton has been to the Stanley Cup Finals in two of the past three seasons, and this time around the cap picture is more workable than it has been. The team is projected to enter next season with an estimated $4.725 million in cap space, and Marchenko’s $3.85 million annual average value for next season makes him an easy fit financially.
Even if his price rises after that, he would still be under team control as a restricted free agent, which gives Edmonton more leverage. If he takes the route of salary arbitration, the Oilers would still have some control over how that situation plays out.
The money is only part of the equation, though. Edmonton also has the kind of assets that can get a serious conversation started.
Right now, the Oilers hold a first-round pick in two of the next three drafts, along with picks in rounds 3 through 7 in both the 2028 and 2029 NHL Draft. That’s the sort of draft capital that can matter in a major trade. On top of that, they have young players who could draw real interest.
Matt Savoie is one of them. The 22-year-old just finished his rookie NHL season with 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points in 82 games, and there’s plenty of optimism about where his game is headed, especially after how he closed the year.
Then there’s Isaac Howard, the 2025 Hobey Baker Award winner. His first pro season at the NHL level had its struggles, but he was productive for Bakersfield in the AHL, where he put up 24 goals and 26 assists for 50 points in 47 games. That kind of output should still make him a valuable trade piece.
Put it all together, and the Oilers have the kind of package that could let them jump into the market if Stan Bowman and company decide to swing big.
In Other News...
Oilers May Be Forced To Trust Unexpected Prospects This Season
The Oilers have not exactly made a habit of getting meaningful rookie help from their recent young players, with Ryan McLeod and Matt Savoie standing out as the rare exceptions. Thats part of what makes this coming season interesting in Edmonton, where the path to NHL ice could open for prospects who were not necessarily penciled in as immediate contributors when camp opened.
Positional need and injuries can change a depth chart fast, and that is where some of the organizations less established young players enter the picture. One right-shot defenseman is in the mix because the Oilers are not exactly overflowing with options on that side, while a right-handed center with size and skill could also get a look if the lineup needs a different kind of forward. Neither has proven much at the NHL level yet, but the circumstances around them may end up forcing Edmonton to trust upside sooner than planned. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Suddenly Face A Tarasenko Decision Fans Will Debate
Vladimir Tarasenko is still sitting in free agency, and that alone has turned him into one of the more interesting names left on the board for teams still looking to add scoring. After a respectable recent season, his market appears to have cooled enough that a player once carrying a much larger cap hit is now being discussed in a far more modest range, which naturally puts clubs like Edmonton into the conversation.
For the Oilers, the appeal is obvious enough: a veteran winger who could slide into a useful spot in the lineup and give the offense another layer without demanding the kind of commitment that would reshape the roster. The question is whether Edmonton wants to make room for a player with some perceived baggage and whether the fit is worth the debate that would follow, especially if the contract comes in at the kind of bargain level that makes the decision even harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]