The Edmonton Oilers are off to a great start to the 2026-27 season. In fact, they have won five of their first seven games and have the best goals-per-game average in the NHL (4.43). Despite this, general manager Stan Bowman is almost certainly looking to improve his roster. Defense has been Edmonton’s issue for years now. As a result, Bowman will be eyeing reinforcements in this role.
Nevertheless, the Edmonton Oilers also have a lack of depth up front. Because of this, Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz has named Edmonton as the top landing spot for Jake DeBrusk. Acquiring the Vancouver Canucks star would help fill out an extremely top-heavy Oilers lineup. “They still have a lot of holes, and a lot of spots that need to be plugged,” Gretz said of Edmonton’s roster.
“Goalie is one of them. Defensive depth is another. And so is scoring depth at forward. Their second, third, and fourth lines are just not up to par for a championship team, and it has to be addressed at some point over the next few months. A player like DeBrusk—or any player who can provide some secondary scoring—should be on their radar.”
DeBrusk previously signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract in Vancouver. While the Canucks are rebuilding, the veteran forward has five more years remaining on the deal. The Edmonton Oilers could look to pry away the winger and give Vancouver future pieces to help accelerate their overhaul under new general manager Ryan Johnson.
Edmonton Oilers Would Have to get Creative to Acquire Jake DeBrusk
As Gretz points out, the Edmonton Oilers have a potentially serious problem with their current group of forwards. Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl lead the way, but the team is not getting much scoring elsewhere. In fact, the Oilers are being outscored 5-9 when neither of these forwards is on the ice this season.
The star duo has a combined 30 points over Edmonton’s first seven games of the campaign. Vasily Podkolzin has also added an impressive nine points. Nevertheless, no other Oilers player has more than three points on the season. McDavid, Draisaitl, Podkolzin, and Evan Bouchard currently account for 71% of their team’s goals so far. Bowman clearly needs to add more offense to his roster.
One potential issue for the Edmonton Oilers, however, is their financial situation. According to PuckPedia.com, Bowman is slightly over the salary cap. Bringing in DeBrusk and his $5.5 million AAV hit means that Edmonton has to send money the other way. The Oilers would rather offer a combination of draft picks and prospects/young players in a deal for the star forward.
Edmonton Would Benefit From Adding Reliable Forward
Assuming the Edmonton Oilers can work out a deal with Vancouver, DeBrusk would be a solid addition to the team. The veteran already has five points in seven games on a struggling squad. He also recorded 90 points across the two previous seasons with the Canucks. During this timeframe, the winger only missed one NHL game.
This is not the first time that DeBrusk has been linked with a move away from Vancouver. The veteran was involved in trade talks practically all summer. In fact, Canucks beat writer Thomas Drance named the star a “realistic” trade candidate before the current campaign began.
Oilers Named Top Landing Spot for $38.5 Million Star Forward