The Edmonton Oilers are, unsurprisingly, scouring the market to see what upgrades they could make. What remains unclear is the timing of any potential moves.
While the Oilers are not in a hurry to make moves right away, they would like to move the needle sooner rather than later. But that may be easier said than done.
As insider Pierre LeBrun noted in The Athletic, the Oilers may need to wait for the market to open up. LeBrun noted that the Oilers have talked to several teams, but there’s nothing set to happen yet.
“…the sense right now is that most of Edmonton’s talks with teams are preliminary and nothing is imminent. A big part of that is that there are so few sellers because of the parity in the standings.”
LeBrun is right about the parity in the standings. Only a handful of teams would be truly out of it. The rest of the field has at least a modest shot at getting back into the playoff picture. As the Buffalo Sabres showed, all it takes is a prolonged winning streak to turn things around.
As such, LeBrun offers the following timeline for the Oilers’ moves, likely coming after the Olympic break.
“Most likely, an Oilers trade will come after the Olympics. The internal debate is not surprising, mirroring what Edmonton media has been discussing: Are the Oilers better off with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at center or at wing (where he’s so good with McDavid)? That would influence what position they look to trade for. There is no bad answer. Nugent-Hopkins is effective in either spot.”
The comment signals that the Oilers’ biggest need remains in their forward group.
Oilers Remain Focused on Depth Scoring
Perhaps the most persistent issue for the Oilers over the years has been depth scoring. Edmonton is top-heavy with Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard on the blue line, leading the way. But the depth scoring just hasn’t been there.
Jack Roslovic has been a pleasant surprise. But the rest of the squad hasn’t really supported the top six.
Andrew Mangiapane’s permanence in the lineup is a sign that the Oilers don’t have very many choices at the moment. So, it seems the only course of action at this point is patience.
Edmonton’s Final Decision Will Depend on Supply
The Oilers may have numerous players in mind. But the bottom line is that their final decision will depend on the supply. Edmonton could target a center to provide more flexibility in the top six or a winger to complement the current group.
At the moment, the Oilers are rolling with McDavid, Draisaitl, and Roslovic down the middle. That’s not a bad group. The club would like to replace Mangiapane with a more consistent scorer. However, a center could facilitate Roslovic moving back to the second line with Draisaitl.
There are no firm names reported on the Oilers’ radar. The usual suspects like Brayden Schenn, Ryan O’Reilly, and even Vincent Trocheck would be a home run for Edmonton. However, the club may have to settle for a lower-tier player to complement their current core.
Oilers Trade Timeline Identified by Insider