Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman is likely keeping a close eye on the waiver wire. The team’s top exec revamped his roster during the offseason, yet there is still room for improvement. Due to a series of summer moves, the Oilers are set at goaltending and defense. Nevertheless, they do seemingly need a boost in the forward group.
Bowman recently attempted to strengthen his offense by signing controversial winger Alex Formenton. An additional move, however, still seems likely. In fact, The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell is now claiming that Edmonton will look to add a forward soon via waivers. “It’s possible Bowman sees something on the waiver wire from another team that the Oilers would find appealing,” writes Mitchell.
The reporter pointed to a specific list of players who have to clear waivers if they do not make their team’s NHL roster. Among those listed, Mitchell believes that the Edmonton Oilers would target Matthew Poitras of the Boston Bruins. According to the writer, the young center “would have value to the Oilers.” Even if the forward clears waivers, Mitchell claims that Edmonton could target him in a trade.
Interestingly, Boston just signed Poitras to a one-year, two-way extension worth $850,000. Despite this, the Bruins could still move on from the center. The youngster’s playing time in Boston has diminished in recent years. For instance, he played 66 NHL games between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, yet featured just three times last season. He could, however, potentially find a home with the Edmonton Oilers.
Edmonton Oilers Could Benefit From Matthew Poitras’ Situation in Boston
While Poitras was once a highly rated prospect in Boston, he may not make the Bruins NHL roster. The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa even recently projected that the youngster will soon be on the outside looking in. According to the writer, Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, Fraser Minten, and Sean Kuraly are expected to be the team’s four centers to start the 2026-27 season. Daily Faceoff has similar projections.
If this is true, the Edmonton Oilers could very well be in luck. Complicating the youngster’s place with the Bruins is the fact that he is now dealing with an injury. While the issue is considered minor, he has missed Boston’s last two preseason games. The center could return to action Friday, September 25 against the Washington Capitals.
If the Edmonton Oilers do target Poitras, he would likely compete for a roster spot with Colton Dach. Mitchell’s colleague, Janson Duench, recently projected that Dach would be the club’s fourth-line center to start the campaign. The Oilers have also recently been linked to Dach’s brother Kirby from the Montreal Canadiens.
Edmonton has Been Linked to Young Center Before
Links between the Edmonton Oilers and Poitras should not be exactly surprising. Mitchell previously wrote about Bowman’s potential interest in the young center in July. While some have urged the Oilers to target a veteran forward such as Vladimir Tarasenko, the club needs to focus on young talent.
Although Poitras has not been given a ton of NHL opportunities, he has posted impressive stats in the AHL. In fact, the center has racked up 85 total points in his last 109 games with the Providence Bruins.
Oilers Expected to Target Highly Rated Bruins Forward