Oilers’ Insider Suggests Team Might Be Looking at 2-in-1 Trade

Oilers Now host and color commentator for the team’s radio broadcasts, Bob Stauffer, said during the Oilers’ win over the Vegas Golden Knights this weekend that the team might be looking for a second trade piece along with their quest to upgrade the defense. Stauffer has maintained that the Oilers want another top-four option on their blue line — could be a right-shot or a left-shot — but he also noted the team is looking for a center.

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In fairness, I should say that Stauffer didn’t report the Oilers were looking to make these upgrades with the same team in a blockbuster type. But it is something the team has done before, and sometimes a bigger trade with one team is more workable than two trades with two teams.

While Stauffer didn’t drop a name or give any hints as to whom the Oilers might be targeting or talking to, during the intermission, Stauffer said he could see the Oilers trying to add some toughness and depth down the middle.

It’s a bit surprising given the depth the Oilers have at forward, particularly with a lack of space to fit who they do have when Viktor Arvidsson and Evander Kane are back and playing. They’ll be some roster shifting with wingers moving to center, and that means Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Henrique, and Derek Ryan are all trying to find spots down the middle.

If Edmonton adds another center, Ryan is likely the odd man out. However, he brings some elements to the lineup that the Oilers like, including an incredible success rate in the faceoff circle — he’s taken 197 draws and has a 62.4% win rate (only Claude Giroux has been better with more draws taken).

Can Oilers Tackle Two Needs in One Trade?

If the Oilers aren’t looking at skill or faceoff help, what is it they need? That would be sandpaper and toughness. Think of someone like Sam Carrick last season, who was thrown into the deal to acquire Henrique ahead of the 2023-24 NHL Trade Deadline.

If this is a need for the Oilers, is there a team out there that has both an upgrade on the blue line and a depth center that would help the Oilers?

In Columbus, where the Oilers might like Ivan Provorov, there isn’t much to pick from (at least not pending UFAs). In Montreal, where the Oilers might like David Savard, is Jake Evans an option? He’s a right-shot center, and a pending UFA, but he’s not great on faceoffs and, while willing to hit, not incredibly physical.

Would the San Jose Sharks Be a Fit for the Oilers?

Perhaps the Sharks might be a fit with a pairing of Mario Ferraro and Luke Kunin. Kunin is a pending UFA, right-shot center who leads the Sharks in hits with 86. He’s 50% on faceoffs (having taken 152) and he’s got 8 goals and 12 points in 33 games. Ferraro is a coveted defenseman making a reasonable salary of $3.25 million this season and next.

The issue for the Oilers is cap space. The Sharks can’t retain salary on either player. That means a full cap hit of $6 million coming to Edmonton, which they can’t afford without LTIR help. They’ve been accruing cap space with Evander Kane, but not enough to make that deal work without help from a third team or a player going back.

Would the Sharks take back some salary in the trade? If the Oilers moved Arvidsson or Skinner (who has a full no-move clause), this is a trade that isn’t too hard for the Oilers to pull off. It would take a sweetener to get the Sharks to bite, but Edmonton is in win-now mode, can spare a winger, and would be open to moving a draft pick or a prospect.

Next: Maple Leafs Compiling List of Centers Ahead of Trade Deadline