If the Edmonton Oilers are going to keep reshaping the roster and carving out more cap space before the 2026-27 season, the cleanest path is a trade. The problem, as this summer already showed, is that finding a partner willing to take on the right contract is a whole different challenge.
Edmonton pulled off what was described as a “small miracle” when it moved Darnell Nurse and got the San Jose Sharks to absorb his full freight. Even better for the Oilers, San Jose didn’t just take the deal - it sent back a serviceable NHL player and a prospect.
That made it a major win for GM Stan Bowman. The question now is whether there’s another deal like that out there.
Two names stand out as the toughest candidates to move.
Tristan Jarry would be one of the harder players to unload if Edmonton wants to get down to just two goaltenders. Since joining the Oilers, he has struggled badly, putting up a 3.86 GAA and .858 save percentage while also battling injuries. He’s 31, and teams may wonder if he can still get back to being a dependable starter.
The contract only makes it trickier. Jarry carries a $5.375 million cap hit for two more seasons, which is a heavy number for a goalie whose game is trending the wrong way.
The money itself may not be the biggest obstacle - after all, $9.25 million for Nurse didn’t scare off the Sharks. But San Jose knew what it was getting with Nurse.
Jarry is a different kind of gamble. He could be excellent, or he could be a total train wreck.
That kind of uncertainty may not be worth nearly $6 million to another team.
It’s possible the Oilers could move him without retaining salary or attaching sweeteners, but that’s far from guaranteed. It would likely take a team in desperate need of goaltending, and the timing would have to line up with Jarry putting together better numbers.
Trent Frederic presents a different kind of problem. His contract structure alone makes him a tough sell, and his impact on the ice doesn’t help.
Unlike Jarry, the issue here isn’t just the cap hit - it’s the length. Frederic has seven years left on his deal.
He can bring physicality as a fourth-line winger, but four goals and seven points in 74 games don’t come close to justifying a $3.85 million cap hit, especially over that many seasons. Teams are not eager to commit long-term money to a bottom-six player who can be replaced, particularly one who had trouble locking down a steady role and was even scratched in the playoffs.
For now, Frederic looks like a player the Oilers will need to live with for another full season and hope he rebounds. If that happens, a move becomes more realistic. He does have a full no-move clause, though, so any change would only happen if he agrees to it.
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Why Sharks Prospect Max Heise Saw Denver As His Next Step
Max Heises path to the NCAA has already taken a few turns, and the latest one sends the Sharks prospect to Denver instead of Michigan State. Drafted 150th overall by San Jose in 2025, Heise has climbed from the BCHL to the WHL and now is preparing for college hockey under David Carle, a move that came after he reopened his recruitment and settled on the Pioneers as the better fit for the next stage of his development.
At development camp, Heise talked about the kind of player he wants to become as he makes that jump, with an emphasis on strength, confidence and a more physical, speed-driven game. The fit in Denver matters because the Pioneers have a track record of pushing prospects into defined roles quickly, and Heise will arrive with expectations that go beyond just adjusting to the college level, even if the full picture of how Carle plans to use him is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]