Edmonton’s offseason has already been swallowed up by the coaching change and the goaltending logjam, but the forward group still looks like the area that could use one more swing. The Oilers are believed to be hunting for another addition up front, and the focus is on a legitimate top-six piece if the right player can be pried loose.
A few names keep coming up in the noise around the team, and the list starts with one of the most obvious fits: Alex DeBrincat.
DeBrincat, now with the Detroit Red Wings, is still producing like a true top-line scorer. He’s 28 and just finished a season with 41 goals and 85 points in 82 games played.
He’s also in the final year of his deal, which puts Detroit in a tricky spot. Steve Yzerman could move him and get assets back, or gamble on a new contract.
Edmonton would gladly take on that last year, but the $7.875 million cap hit is a problem unless the Oilers can send money back the other way.
Jake DeBrusk is another name that refuses to go away. The Vancouver Canucks winger has been tied to Edmonton for years, and the connection is easy to see.
He was born in Edmonton, and his father still works with the team in a broadcast role. DeBrusk posted 23 goals and 42 points last season, and at 29, his $5.5 million cap hit is much easier to imagine fitting into the Oilers’ picture.
If Vancouver pushes further into a rebuild, a reunion starts to make real sense. He’d also give Edmonton a useful second-unit power-play option as a net-front presence with soft hands.
Owen Tippett may be the cleanest fit on pure style alone. The Philadelphia Flyers forward is 27, coming off a 28-goal, 23-assist season, and his speed and shot would slide naturally into Edmonton’s top six.
His $6.2 million cap hit is a little rich for the Oilers, but if Philadelphia has to move money after landing Leo Carlsson via an offer sheet, there could be a path through salary retention or a smaller contract coming back. Tippett is entering the prime of his career, and other teams would be in the mix if the Flyers make him available.
The Pittsburgh Penguins show up twice on the list, and for good reason. Rickard Rakell is already on Edmonton’s radar, and he remains a productive winger at 33.
He scored 24 goals and 24 assists in 2025-26 and carries a $5 million cap hit with two years left. The catch is the asking price.
The Penguins have reportedly made him available, but they want a strong return.
Bryan Rust is the other Penguin worth watching. Oilers insider Jason Gregor has mentioned him as a name that may be flying under the radar.
Rust is 34, a steady 20-goal scorer, and he has two years remaining at a $5.125 million cap hit. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe has reported that Penguins GM Kyle Dubas doesn’t want to move him, but that hasn’t stopped contenders from asking about him for years.
Then there’s the one option that doesn’t require a trade at all: Vladimir Tarasenko. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently floated the unrestricted free agent as a possible fit in Edmonton.
The Oilers were reportedly interested in Claude Giroux, but after his decision to return to Ottawa, he’s no longer in the picture. Tarasenko has started to emerge as a value add for a team that wants help now.
In Other News...
Canucks Goalie Prospect Suddenly Looks Ready For A Bigger Chapter
Aleksei Medvedev arrived at his second Canucks development camp looking and sounding like a goalie who has spent the offseason with a purpose. The London Knights prospect has been training in Ontario with a goalie coach, sharpening both his physical game and his mental approach as he prepares for another OHL season, and the early signs suggest the work is already showing up in his confidence and focus.
Medvedevs path last season had its ups and downs, which made this summer especially important for him. He has also been working with sports psychologists and Canucks mental performance consultant Alex Hodgins to build more resilience, and that broader reset seemed to carry into camp, where his strong form in the shootout stood out as another reminder that Vancouver may have a goalie prospect ready to take a bigger step. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Suddenly Face A Huge Elias Pettersson Decision
The Elias Pettersson conversation in Vancouver is still more theory than transaction, and that matters for a team trying to sort out its next big move without making a costly mistake. NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal has indicated there is no sign of a deal nearing the finish line, which fits the broader sense around the Canucks that management is not rushing into anything while the organization weighs its options.
Petterssons trade value is not what it was after a disappointing season for both him and the Canucks, so the front office is facing a delicate balancing act. If Vancouver does eventually decide to move him, the return would have to make long-term sense, and the current wait suggests the club would rather be patient than sell low just to force a resolution. [Read more 🡒]