What the Oilers’ Top Five Prospects Say About Their Best Trade Chip

NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest just detailed a list of the top prospects in the system for the Edmonton Oilers. It ranks the top five players with the best chance of making an impact in the NHL, but it got me thinking. This list might also give us a good indication of what the team’s best trade chips are.

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The fact is, Edmonton doesn’t have a whole lot to offer if they’re making a big trade. Outside of the big stars, Matt Savoie might be one of the more sought-after players on the roster. That means prospects and picks are the next trade pieces the Oilers can dangle. Would teams be interested in any of the players Van Diest ranked highly?

The List Itself

Topping Van Diest’s list is Josh Samanski, a German forward who signed as an undrafted free agent and split last season between Edmonton and Bakersfield. He got a bit more than a cup of coffee in the NHL, playing 24 games last season. During those games, he showed enough of a two-way game to project as an NHL regular this year.

Isaac Howard, acquired from Tampa Bay in a 2025 trade, ranked second. The Hobey Baker winner had a strong AHL season in Bakersfield before a January recall. Howard is a shoot-first scorer who just needs better luck and more open ice at the NHL level. Quinn Hutson — brother of Lane and Cole Hutson — lands third after a 30-goal AHL season. Connor Clattenburg, a physical fifth-round pick whose rookie season was cut short by an eye injury, is fourth. Damien Carfagna, an undersized but mobile undrafted defenseman, rounds out the top five.

Is There Any Trade Value In These Players?

Every player on it is either an undrafted free agent, a mid-round pick, or a piece acquired in a depth trade. There’s no former first-round centerpiece, no consensus franchise cornerstone. These aren’t players teams are lining up to acquire, or who will generate trade interest that would land the Oilers a difference-maker.

The two most NHL-ready names, Samanski and Howard, are projected as this-season call-ups in complementary roles. They are the two names that could spend more time in the NHL this season than in the AHL. It wouldn’t be until either or both break out that they would have real trade value. Teams interested would be betting on projections. In some ways, it would be similar to how Pittsburgh felt about Ville Koivunen.

This isn’t necessarily a knock on Edmonton’s scouting or development staff. But it does mean something specific for trade season: if a struggling team calls Edmonton looking for young, controllable talent as the centerpiece of a deal, the Oilers don’t really have one sitting in the system to offer.

So What Can Edmonton Offer?

Edmonton’s best trade chip almost certainly isn’t in this list at all. It’s on the current NHL roster or in future draft capital. GM Stan Bowman’s actual trade leverage will have to be an established NHL player on an expiring or movable contract, or an unprotected first-round pick still a few years out.

If he’s going to make a deal, it points toward names already on the roster rather than anyone in Bakersfield. A rebuilding team calling about futures isn’t going to get excited about a 24-year-old AHL scorer who profiles as a middle-six piece.

Next: Oilers Trade Proposal Lands Matthew Knies: Would You Do It?