Inexpensive Top-Nine Trade Deadline Options for the Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers don’t have a ton of room to maneuver if trying to upgrade their team. Stan Bowman is attempting to lead the Oilers to a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. However, some questions about their goaltending and a tight Pacific Division have people wondering if this year’s team is for real. If nothing else, the Oilers must find some trade targets, specifically to upgrade their top-nine forward group.

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The Oilers currently have Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie as part of their top nine. While the forwards have shown glimpses of potential this season, it’s a risk to roll with them in crucial roles in the postseason. With less than $1 million in cap space, the Oilers don’t have many options.

Kiefer Sherwood

It’s almost surprising that there wasn’t as much noise about Kiefer Sherwood heading to the Oilers. Understandably, the Vancouver Canucks might not have wanted to be the reason that their division rival got over the hump and won a Stanley Cup.

The San Jose Sharks aren’t as sold on keeping Sherwood at the deadline as some might think. There is a chance that they flip him for more assets, and his $1.5 million cap hit should be very appealing to Edmonton.

For the Oilers, Sherwood is a rental. Considering he’s looking at $30 million on an extension, he would be a short-term solution. The price point on a trade has to work.

Eeli Tolvanen

Things haven’t been working out for Andrew Mangiapane and the Oilers. One way Edmonton could attempt to open up cap space is by trading his $3.6 million cap hit. If they manage to do that, it’d open up the space to acquire Eeli Tolvanen and his $3.475 million hit.

Tolvanen is in the final year of his deal and is on pace for a career year of 48 points. He will also represent Team Finland at the 2026 Winter Olympics. It’d be hard to find a better value deal.

Jordan Eberle

There had to be a nostalgia angle here somewhere. The Seattle Kraken’s captain is just $1 million more expensive than Tolvanen, which the Oilers could fit under the cap. All the talk after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins‘ 1000th game was how he was the only player from Edmonton’s dark days to still be on the roster. It’d be fitting if the former Oiler came home at the trade deadline and helped the group finally win the Stanley Cup after coming up short three straight years.

Expect the Seattle Kraken to be sellers and move several pieces. Whether they are open to moving their captain isn’t clear. He is a pending UFA, so perhaps Eberle is looking at options outside of Seattle regardless.

Next: The Bouchard-for-Rantanen Trade the Oilers Are Happy They Never Made