The Edmonton Oilers are not done making offseason moves just yet. General manager Stan Bowman has already brought in Ryan Shea and Frederick Andersen via free agency and acquired Devon Levi and Shakir Mukhamadullin in separate trades. Despite this, Edmonton still has nearly $5 million in projected cap space heading into the 2026-27 season.
Because the Oilers could still use another forward, veterans Vladimir Tarasenko and Anthony Mantha have been linked to Edmonton. Nevertheless, The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell is urging Bowman to go a different route. According to the beat writer, the Oilers should resist spending their remaining money on an aging veteran player. Instead, Edmonton should look to land a young forward on the verge of breaking into the NHL.
Mitchell specifically picked out Carolina Hurricanes phenom Felix Unger Sörum as a great target. The former second-round pick in the 2023 NHL draft recently had a breakout season in the AHL. In 72 regular-season games with the Chicago Wolves, the winger racked up 66 total points. This total was good enough to lead the entire Wolves team on the year, including top prospect Bradly Nadeau.
Potentially targeting a player like Unger Sörum would boost the Edmonton Oilers in two different ways. For starters, Mantha and Tarasenko are likely eyeing significant salaries. In fact, if The Athletic’s Chris Johnston is correct, Edmonton cannot even afford Mantha. Johnston’s colleague, Scott Wheeler, also recently ranked the Oilers as having the 30th-best prospect pool in the NHL. They desperately need young talent.
Edmonton Oilers Could Have Trouble Landing Felix Unger Sörum
GettyFelix Unger Sorum registered an assist in his lone NHL game with the Carolina Hurricanes.
While the Edmonton Oilers may want to pursue Unger Sörum, it remains to be seen if Carolina is open to dealing the budding star. Mitchell points out that the Hurricanes have a set group of NHL right wingers in place. As a result, there may not be room for the youngster in the near future. Nevertheless, veteran Jordan Martinook, 34, is set to enter his final year under contract with the club.
Because Unger Sörum is just 20, Carolina could view him as a potential option in another year or two. Fellow right winger Eric Robinson also recently underwent knee surgery. Although the forward is not expected to miss the start of the 2026-27 season, anything can happen with knee injuries.
The Hurricanes likely rate Unger Sörum fairly highly. Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis, however, recently wondered if Carolina would soon use the young forward as trade bait. Ellis ranked Unger Sörum as the team’s second-best prospect in the organization. Nevertheless, the Edmonton Oilers may not be able to give the Hurricanes exactly what they want in return this summer.
Edmonton Has Other Options in Search for Offense
Targeting a player like Unger Sörum is not the only option for the Edmonton Oilers, though. As Mitchell points out, Bowman could use the waiver wire to help add offense to his team. The exec could also choose to hold onto the extra funds through the first part of the upcoming season. If the team struggles offensively, the Oilers would then have ample money to address the situation midseason.
Oilers Urged to Target Trade for Young Hurricanes Forward