Edmonton Oilers
Oilers Trade Package for Jesper Bratt — Would You Accept?
A blockbuster Oilers–Devils deal that frees New Jersey’s cap even more and gives Edmonton a proven top‑six winger in their Cup window.
The New Jersey Devils are stuck in a strange holding pattern. Everything they want to do — every roster decision, every cap projection, every long‑term move — is quietly orbiting one question:
When does Quinn Hughes decide his future?
New Jersey wants him. Hughes wants New Jersey. And until he officially signs an extension in Minnesota, the Devils will keep lurking, keep calling Bill Guerin, and keep positioning themselves for the moment he becomes available.
Hughes carries a $7.85M AAV this season, but his next deal is going to look a lot like Cale Makar’s — especially if he signs max term. The Devils only have $3.85M in space right now, and while they could clear room in a trade, the real crunch comes next summer. They’re projected to have $32.33M in cap space, but Hughes alone could eat $21M+ of that once the cap ceiling jumps.
That’s before you factor in their other ambitions.
Why the Devils Might Actually Consider Moving Jesper Bratt
New Jersey’s cap situation is strong, but their ambitions are even stronger. They’ve been linked to Connor Hellebuyck, and it makes perfect sense — their goaltending cratered last season, they just traded their starter away, and Hellebuyck fits seamlessly with their USA Olympic core. Add Hughes to that mix and suddenly you’re looking at a team with massive star power… and massive cap commitments.
Bill Guerin also declined to answer a question about if he was convinced Quinn Hughes wants to play in Minnesota beyond this season. He probably isn’t going to say much else and guarantee anything he can’t promise fully, but fuel keeps being added to the fire.
That’s where Jesper Bratt enters the conversation.
Bratt is a phenomenal player — 22 goals, 71 points last season, 88 the year before, still only 28, and locked in at $7.875M through 2030‑31. He’s a premium winger on a premium contract.
He’s also one of the few players who could realistically be moved without blowing up the Devils’ core identity.
New Jersey would prefer to move Timo Meier first, but if the goal is to unite the Hughes brothers and add a top starter, Bratt is the piece that actually solves their cap puzzle and would provide a stronger return to Meier. Moving him opens a lane for Arseni Gritsyuk to climb the lineup and gives the Devils the flexibility they’ll desperately need once Hughes and a top goalie arrive.
What Edmonton Could Offer
Edmonton has the exact type of package New Jersey would want: cost‑controlled talent, upside, and picks.
Isaac Howard is the centerpiece. A young, American‑born sniper who just won the Hobey Baker, went to the AHL All‑Star Game as a rookie, and looks ready to pop. He brings a different look to the Devils’ wings — pure scoring, pure pace — and could slide onto their third line with Cody Glass and Connor Brown.
Trent Frederic adds money to make the deal work and gives New Jersey a physical, versatile winger who can stabilize their middle six while Howard develops.
Edmonton also has the draft capital to finish the deal.
The Offer
Devils Receive:
- Trent Frederic
- Isaac (Ike) Howard
- 2028 1st round pick
- 2029 1st round pick
- 2028 3rd round pick
Oilers Receive:
- Jesper Bratt
Who Says No?
This is essentially three firsts, a third, and a roster player — right in line with recent blockbuster winger trades.
If New Jersey preferred a young defender, Edmonton could add Spencer Stastney or another prospect, but the Devils already have a solid young defensive pipeline.
The real value for New Jersey is the cap relief and the ability to reallocate money toward Hughes and a top goalie. Howard’s upside is significant — he’s cost‑controlled, dynamic, and projects as a top‑six scorer.
Edmonton gets exactly what they need: a proven top‑six winger who can keep up with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. Bratt is a pass‑first player, which overlaps with McDavid and Draisaitl’s tendencies. His pace and vision however fit perfectly in Edmonton’s offensive ecosystem.
Comparable Deals
- Mason McTavish → two firsts
- JJ Peterka → two firsts
- Brady Tkachuk → three firsts and a second
Bratt has out‑produced all three over the past two seasons, though he’s older and less physical than Tkachuk. His contract is excellent, his production is elite, and his value sits comfortably in the “three firsts plus” tier.
The Oilers’ offer matches that market.
Benefits For Each
There are major benefits for both teams in this deal. Edmonton gets the payoff immediately — a top‑six winger who steps into their Cup window on Day 1 — while New Jersey gets something they will need in the future: breathing room. This move frees up space for the incoming monster contracts on their horizon, gives them a young, cost‑controlled sniper to replenish their wing depth, and arms them with the draft capital required to chase bigger fish. The haul is substantial enough to intrigue the Devils and flexible enough to help them reshape their roster around the Hughes brothers and a true No. 1 goalie.
For the Oilers, the fit is obvious. They get a bonafide top‑six winger, a proven producer who can skate with Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl and elevate any line he touches. Is Bratt the perfect stylistic match? Maybe, maybe not — but he’s a high‑end talent, and Edmonton needs more of those. In a Cup window, certainty matters, and Bratt is as close to a sure thing as you’ll find.
The deal checks boxes for both sides and has all the ingredients of a summer blockbuster — the kind of move that doesn’t just fill a need, but reshapes the trajectory of two contenders.
And if Quinn Hughes ultimately forces his way to New Jersey — which feels more inevitable by the day — the Devils will need to make a significant move to prepare for the cap crunch. Jesper Bratt is the logical candidate, and Edmonton has the exact type of package that fits the bill.
This is the kind of trade that shakes up an offseason and rewrites the landscape for two teams with championship ambitions.
Next: Oilers Trade Package for Matvei Michkov — Would You Accept?
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