Insider Reports Oilers Have Targeted Maple Leafs Players with Term

The Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs have been heavily connected to one another in recent weeks, with several different trade possibilities floating around.

Pending UFA Bobby McMann has been at the forefront of those discussions, while names like Scott Laughton, Brandon Carlo, and even Jake McCabe have also been speculated on along the way. While those all still make sense, according to one insider, talks between the two teams ahead of the Olympic roster freeze were actually centered around Nicolas Roy and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

---

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period revealed the update during his appearance on The Sheet with Jeff Marek on Friday.

Pagnotta said:

“Some word out of Edmonton is that leading up to this freeze, they’ve been having discussions with the Toronto Maple Leafs — and it wasn’t Bobby McMann. I know there was a lot of attention and speculation surrounding McMann, but going into the week, I know they hadn’t spoken about him.

It sounds like maybe it’s Nic Roy, maybe it’s an Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Those are two players I wouldn’t be shocked if they poked around on. I was told by a couple of people that the Oilers and Leafs had conversations leading up to the freeze, and that’s something to keep an eye on coming out of the break and closer to the actual deadline.”

The 29-year-old Roy is in year four of a five-year, $15 million contract originally signed with the Golden Knights in 2022. Ekman-Larsson, 34, meanwhile, is in the second year of the four-year, $14 million deal he signed to join the Maple Leafs as a UFA in 2024.

Roy has recorded 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 54 games this season, while Ekman-Larsson has tallied 34 points (eight goals, 26 assists) through 57 appearances.

Stan Bowman Has Shown a Preference for Players With Term

While this is only his second trade deadline as GM of the Oilers, if last year — and his time in Chicago — taught us anything, it’s that Bowman prefers acquiring players with term, or pending free agents he’s confident he can extend, rather than pure rentals.

That doesn’t necessarily rule out a McMann trade, as Edmonton could still acquire and extend him, though it does further explain why Bowman would kick tires on Roy and Ekman-Larsson, who are under contract through 2026–27 and 2027–28, respectively.

Roy would provide Edmonton with the top-nine forward they’ve been searching for, offering flexibility as a right-shot capable of playing both center and wing. Ekman-Larsson, while up there in age, is having a tremendous season and would not only bring championship pedigree but also make the blue line harder to play against.

Given that both players have term, Bowman and company may have to pay a premium to get a deal done. That said, by the sounds of it, the price to land a potential rental like McMann won’t come cheap either — which could explain why the Oilers have turned their attention to Roy and Ekman-Larsson.

Next: If Insider Report Is True, Maple Leafs Should Be All Over Travis Konecny