Report: Oilers’ Eyeing Next Brad Marchand at Trade Deadline

According to Allan Mitchell of The Athletic, Edmonton may look for two things at this season’s NHL Trade Deadline: a goaltender and a more aggressive winger.

Mitchell writes in a recent post:

“The club will still need to use the trade market for a goalie upgrade (if required) and would do well to grab the next Brad Marchand at the 2026 trade deadline (if there is a player like him available), but there is a need for youthful experience of the kind provided by [Vasily] Podkolzin last season.”

Mitchell spent time in his latest article talking about how much aggression and determination are now on this Oilers roster. Noting the loss of Zach Hyam in the Final was a huge deal, the scribe suggests Edmonton could use more than a healthy Hyman, Trent Frederic, and Podkolzin. Those three might be enough, but he adds, “For Bowman, finding players like Podkolzin is the key.”

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Why Does Edmonton Need More of a Rugged Edge?

Noting that the Oilers have to get there first, he contends that to beat the Florida Panthers, the Oilers need more of what the Panthers have in abundance. The Oilers lost their edge in that series, and Florida took them out of their otherwise rugged and speedy rhythm. He writes, “When the final whistle blew in the final last spring, it was the Oilers who looked old and tired; the Panthers looked like a team at the beginning of something special.”

With Evander Kane now in Vancouver, Bowman will likely keep an eye out for a player he can add with some bark in his game. Matt Savoie and Ike Howard won’t bring much in the way of physicality.

Mitchell doesn’t spend any time naming potential players. Perhaps that’s because it’s too early to know who will be available and what the cost will be. Brad Marchand wasn’t expected to be traded until just before the deadline. He was perhaps the most impactful deadline addition in recent NHL history. If someone of his caliber becomes available in 2025-26, expect the Oilers to push hard and take a swing.

That’s going to involve the Oilers crossing their fingers in the hopes that a top-notch player on an expiring deal winds up being moved at the deadline and becomes a rental. Some elite talent and skilled forwards is heading to the market. But is there a cost-effective winger that adds skill and ruggedness?

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