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2026 NHL Trade Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Spencer Lazary | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 9:37 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers are heading into the March 6 trade deadline in a familiar spot. After falling just short of a Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons, this team is looking to make a third trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. They have already made a few moves this season, including what felt like a panic trade for Tristan Jarry. However, they still have some major holes to fill if they want to get back to the Finals and hoist the Cup.

With the Olympics nearing the end, GM Stan Bowman only has a handful of weeks to figure out how to navigate a tight cap situation and find the right pieces for a deep run.

The Oilers’ Status at the Trade Deadline: Aggressive Buyers

There is no doubt about where the Oilers stand. They are in a playoff spot, and their window to win with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is wide open. Which means that whenever they are in this position, they will go all-in.

Unfortunately, the Oilers have struggled with roster consistency. While their offence is always a threat, their defensive play and goaltending have been major question marks. They already used one of their bigger chips in Stuart Skinner to get Jarry. Now they need to decide if they are going to burn the rest of their assets to fix the crease, the blue line, or add another scoring winger. That said, there is a way that they could do two of the three options despite their limited cap space. It will just take cap gymnastics and finding the right fits.

Oilers’ Salary Cap Space

The biggest hurdle for Edmonton is the salary cap. According to PuckPedia, the Oilers are projected to have roughly $2.8 million in cap space on deadline day. That is not a lot of room to work with, but as mentioned above, it is possible to add a few impactful pieces.

With what’s available, they could get a middle-six forward and a depth defenseman. But if they want to create more space, then they’ll need to move Andrew Mangiapane. He has been the most talked-about name in trade rumours all season. He’s struggled to produce and carries a $3.6 million cap hit through next year.

If Bowman can find a taker for Mangiapane, it opens up $6.4 million in cap space. Which gives them a lot more possibilities. If they need to make space for a bigger trade, they might also have to look at moving Mattias Janmark. That would clear another $1.45 million, bringing their projected cap space to $7.85 million. Which could allow them to make a few deals and significantly improve their roster.

Oilers’ Top Trade Targets & Chips

The rumours have linked the Oilers to several players, specifically from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bobby McMann is a name that keeps coming up. Largely due to his size, scoring touch, and cheap $1.35 million cap hit.

David Pagnotta has also linked them to defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and centre Nicolas Roy. On the blue line, Rasmus Ristolainen from the Philadelphia Flyers has come up as a potential target to play alongside Darnell Nurse. However, unless they weren’t able to clear a substantial amount of cap space, they’d need to pay teams to retain their salary.

As for assets, the Oilers are thin on draft picks after moving their 2026 first-rounder. But they still own their 2026 second-round and 2027 first-round pick, which could be used. However, if they want to make a splash, they will likely have to dip into their prospect pool and look at moving someone like Beau Akey or even Isaac Howard, if the deal is worth it.

At the end of the day, the Oilers are going to be one of the most active teams leading up to March 6. They have the motivation to win. But they are going to need some creative management to make the math work.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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