Allan Mitchell of The Athletic looked at five possible trade options for the Edmonton Oilers if they feel the need to move something of value off their roster to get what they need on defense. Struggling to stop teams from scoring goals this season, Edmonton’s weakened blue line is becoming an issue and reports are that GM Stan Bowman is aggressively scouring the market for a trade. But, would the Oilers really move a top prospect they just landed from the Buffalo Sabres in Matt Savoie?
Would the Oilers Trade Matt Savoie If Left With Little Choice?
Depending on how badly the Oilers feel they need to make a move, there are a few pieces that might attract interest from other teams. Among them is Savoie. Mitchell writes:
Young winger Matt Savoie was acquired over the summer from the Buffalo Sabres in the deal that sent Ryan McLeod away. The organization probably doesn’t want to deal with him, and it’s a good bet the return would have to be substantial in order to pry him away from the Oilers.
Mitchell points out that Savoie is only 20 years old and is playing well in the AHL (1-3-4 in six games with the Bakersfield Condors). He is easily one of the team’s best prospects and is “and is a real top-end prospect “close to being NHL-ready.” The Oilers don’t have a ton of solid forward prospects ready to make the jump because the team traded many of their top picks away in an effort to make playoff runs at the deadline. Savoie was one of Buffalo’s top picks and is now in Edmonton’s system.
He can be a productive scoring winger in the NHL and there would be a market for him, even if it’s not clear how big that market is. Mitchell writes, “Savoie may be the ask on trades Bowman turns down on merit. In the Oilers prospect pool, he’s a unicorn.”
What Else Might the Oilers Be Willing to Move?
Mitchell added that if Savoie wasn’t the right selection to trade, the Oilers could contemplate trading their first-round selection in 2026, waiting until the deadline and using some of the cap space the team has accrued, moving defenseman Beau Akey, or trading Sam O’Reilly, who the Oilers traded up to get at this year’s NHL Draft.
If another team wants someone on the active roster who can play right away, Mitchell argued that Ty Emberson could be someone the Oilers are willing to sacrifice. He writes, “If an opposition team has a perfect fit solution, and Emberson is the ask, Bowman probably surrenders a solid young defender in an effort to improve in the short term.”
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