What a Big Trade Could Mean for the Edmonton Oilers
After losing to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, fans of the Edmonton Oilers are feeling really upset. This frustration has spread from the fans in the stands to the players, coaches, and even the team leaders. It’s been a tough weekend for the Oilers, and everyone is feeling emotional.
At the heart of this situation is General Manager Stan Bowman, who is in charge of building the team. While fans have many ideas about what needs to change, the big question is: what can Bowman actually do to motivate this team before it’s too late?
A Turning Point in Oilers History
The Oilers are going through one of their hardest times lately. After making it to the Stanley Cup Final two years in a row, everyone expected them to do well — but this season’s plan to mix younger players with experienced ones hasn’t worked out as hoped. Younger players are having a hard time getting to play, and important veteran players aren’t performing as well as they did last year.
Normally, head coach Kris Knoblauch would be at risk of losing his job in a situation like this. However, because he has led the team to the last two Stanley Cup Finals, it’s very unlikely they would fire him in the middle of the season. That leaves Bowman with one real choice: to make a trade — and not just any trade, but a big one that really grabs attention.
The Difficulties
Making a big trade is not simple. Many important players for Edmonton have rules in their contracts that prevent them from being traded or moved, including stars like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Other important players like Darnell Nurse, Trent Frederic, and Andrew Mangiapane also have similar protections in their contracts.
While players such as Evan Bouchard, Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and younger guys still on low contracts can be traded, Edmonton has a problem with their salary cap. This makes it tough to bring in bigger-name players like Juuse Saros, who has a hefty salary of $7.74 million that would be hard to fit in.
Possible Solutions
Bowman might try to persuade some older players to agree to trades, especially those who want one last chance to play in the playoffs for another team. Players like Adam Henrique or Mattias Janmark, who are just coming back from injuries, might be more willing to move now than they would in the summer.
Another option for Bowman could be to get a young, talented goalie with a lot of promise for the future. Players like Sebastian Cossa (Detroit Red Wings), Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild), and Yaroslav Askarov (San Jose Sharks) could be potential targets. While none are guaranteed to succeed, each one could help the Oilers down the line.
Trade Scenarios
Since there aren’t many veteran players available for trade, Edmonton might have to focus on draft picks and young forwards as their main trade assets. Players like Matt Savoie or Ike Howard could be combined with first and second-round picks from 2026–2027 to catch the attention of other team managers.
A risky but potentially rewarding deal could involve Edmonton sending Skinner, Henrique, and future picks to Nashville to land Saros, with Nashville agreeing to keep some of his salary to help with the cap. This big move could immediately improve Edmonton’s chances for the playoffs if Saros performs well.
For a safer strategy, Bowman might look at getting Sebastian Cossa or Michal Postava from Detroit, both of whom are showing lots of promise in the AHL. Their stats show they could turn into reliable backup goalies — or even future starters — behind Skinner.
The Wild Card
There’s also the unlikely chance that Marc-André Fleury might come back to the NHL. Although there’s no sign he wants to return, Bowman should keep an eye on the situation.
For now, the best move seems to be getting a young goalie with the potential to start for the next season. With Skinner, Pickard, and Ingram all likely to become free agents, Edmonton’s goalie situation for the 2026–27 season looks weak. Making a smart trade could fix that for a long time.
In short:
Juuse Saros is the exciting, big name to consider.
Sebastian Cossa is the sensible, future-oriented choice.
Marc-André Fleury is the wild card that could surprise everyone.
No matter what decision Bowman makes, it’s clear that the Oilers’ season is at a crucial point, and making some changes might be the only way to revive their hopes for the Stanley Cup.
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