The Edmonton Oilers have been quiet on the trade front, and that silence makes sense. They’re rolling, so there’s no reason to force a move. But being in a good spot also gives them room to think bigger, and there’s still a case for adding another top-six forward or a top-four defenceman.
That’s where the fun starts. If Edmonton wants to swing for something substantial, the market could include names that would change the look of the roster in a hurry.
Matt Savoie, who had a place in the team’s top six last season, could be part of the kind of package needed to get a deal done. The Oilers are not in the business of chasing everyone, though.
Players like Nikita Kucherov, who will likely make at least $20 million in his next contract, are off the board. But players in the $5 million to $12 million range are firmly in play, and if Edmonton waits until the trade deadline, the money might line up for a bigger swing.
One of the most intriguing names on Daily Faceoff’s first NHL Trade Board of the season is Quinn Hughes. The American defenceman would be a fit for just about any team in the league, and his current team, Minnesota, has not been able to lock him up long-term.
There’s also plenty of belief around the league that Hughes is headed to New Jersey to play with his brothers. He’s the kind of defender who can take over a game with his offence, and from a contract standpoint, a rental would be manageable.
The problem for Edmonton is the price. It would take too much to land him, and it’s hard to imagine the Wild helping out a rival.
Possible trade chips for Hughes include the 2028 first-round draft pick, the 2027 second-round draft pick, the 2029 third-round draft pick, Matt Savoie, and Jake Walman. Still, the odds are long.
Will it happen? Very unlikely.
Elias Pettersson is another name that keeps coming up, and for good reason. The Canucks centre has been on the trade block for a while, but his contract has scared off plenty of teams.
He has shown some bounce-back this year, yet the concerns haven’t disappeared. Pettersson’s slight frame has been an issue before, especially in the playoffs, where he has been pushed out of games.
Edmonton and Vancouver also don’t exactly make a habit of dealing with each other, which makes the fit even tougher. The only real path might be a swap of difficult contracts, with Pettersson and Walman changing teams.
Possible trade chips in that scenario include the 2028 first-round draft pick, the 2027 second-round draft pick, Matt Savoie, Jake Walman, and Quinn Hutson.
Will it happen? Unlikely.
Roman Josi stands out as the cleanest hockey fit on the board. The Nashville Predators captain would instantly raise Edmonton’s blue line, even with Jake Walman struggling and the defence already better than many expected.
Josi would give the Oilers one of the league’s best bluelines right away. There’s also a connection there: he knows Leon Draisaitl from the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and the two European stars come from the same part of the world.
The possible trade chips listed for Josi are the 2028 first-round draft pick, the 2027 second-round draft pick, Matt Savoie, Jake Walman, and Damian Carfagna.
Will it happen? Possible.
Mathew Barzal is another name worth watching, though the fit is trickier. The Islanders centre has not played this year, but he is nearing a return and has already shed his non-contact jersey in practice.
He has the skill to handle Edmonton’s second line, but New York would likely want a centre coming back in any deal. That’s a problem for the Oilers, who don’t have a centre or even a top centre prospect to offer.
Possible trade chips for Barzal are the 2028 first-round draft pick, the 2027 second-round draft pick, Matt Savoie, Quinn Hutson, and Tomas Cibulka.
Will it happen? Very unlikely.
Jason Robertson belongs in the same conversation as the biggest names on the board. Dallas has not been able to get him signed long-term, and like Hughes, there’s a real chance he eventually moves on.
He’s a high-end scorer, but the contract situation has become the headline. Even so, it’s difficult to picture the Stars sending him to a rival.
Possible trade chips for Robertson are the 2028 first-round draft pick, the 2027 second-round draft pick, the 2029 third-round draft pick, Matt Savoie, and Tomas Cibulka.
Will it happen? Unlikely.
There are also a few veteran names that could make sense if Edmonton wants to shop a little lower on the blockbuster scale. From Nashville, Steven Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly both fit what the Oilers are looking for.
Stamkos, a Markham native, knows Connor McDavid well and has spoken before about training with the Oilers captain. The idea of that kind of scoring talent alongside McDavid or Leon Draisaitl is obvious.
O’Reilly is another interesting option. He is centring Nashville’s top line right now, but Edmonton doesn’t need another first-line centre with Jason Dickinson already in place as a solid third-line option. Even so, O’Reilly brings more offence than Dickinson and could work as a second-line centre or a top-six winger.
Then there’s Erik Karlsson, a name that has been linked to Edmonton for years. The Swedish defenceman would add depth on the back end and ease some of the pressure on Evan Bouchard.
In Other News...
Connor Murphy Is Becoming An Oilers Problem They Can't Ignore
Even with the Oilers piling up wins, Connor Murphys place on the blue line has become harder to gloss over. The veteran defenseman has drawn criticism for the numbers underneath the surface, and the concern is less about one bad night than a pattern that has made his minutes a talking point around the team. Edmontons overall record can hide a lot, but it does not erase the fact that Murphy has not driven play the way the club needs from a regular defenseman.
The bigger issue is that Murphy may not be the only problem, which is what makes this situation tricky for Edmonton. The second defensive pairing has been thin enough that his struggles are being viewed in the context of weak support around him, and the Oilers next move could depend on who returns to the lineup and how much depth they can trust. If the team wants to stabilize that side of the defense, it may have to make a decision that changes Murphys role, even if that answer is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
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Mike Babcocks return to Toronto gives this Oilers road trip a little extra edge, even beyond the standings and the usual late-season noise. Now behind Edmontons bench, the former Maple Leafs coach is back in the building where he spent a memorable stretch with one of hockeys biggest franchises, and he spent time reflecting on both the good and the difficult parts of that run while also taking stock of his current group, which sits atop the Pacific Division.
For the Oilers, the setting adds another layer to a meeting that already matters, with Toronto trying to steady itself under new coach Jim Hiller while the Leafs continue to search for traction in the Atlantic Division. Babcocks presence turns the matchup into more than just another cross-conference game, because the conversation around it is as much about history and unfinished business as it is about the points on the line. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Suddenly Have A Line Decision That Could Matter A Lot
Zach Hymans two-goal night in Edmonton came with a wrinkle that could end up mattering well beyond one home win. He was skating on a new look line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Colton Dach, and the early results only added to the sense that the Oilers may have stumbled onto a combination worth keeping in mind as they sort through their forward groups.
The bigger issue is how the rest of the lineup settles around it. Edmonton has leaned heavily on its top line, so any real balance has to come from the second and third units finding a better fit, and that is where the decisions start to get tricky. The Oilers have options, but the way they arrange those pieces could shape whether the offense feels top-heavy or finally a little more spread out. [Read more 🡒]