Edmonton Oilers Facing Immense Pressure for One Specific Reason, per Nick Kypreos

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 4:25 PM ET

NHL insider Nick Kypreos has revealed that the Oilers are one of the teams facing the most pressure in the NHL to add a player who can be a total game-changer.

With the Stanley Cup-winning Panthers the only roster exempt from feeling the pressure, the other teams in the NHL should not give themselves too long a break until training camp begins in mid-September.

Prospects will see some action this fall, but trades remain the quickest and most efficient way to fill a hole in a lineup, and some teams are really under pressure to make a big trade.

NHL insider Nick Kypreos cites Edmonton as the team with the most pressure to add a game-changer, along with Toronto, Colorado, and Los Angeles as other prime candidates for a transformational add.

'Teams that are under the most intense pressure to add a game-changing player include Edmonton, Toronto, Colorado and Los Angeles.'
- Nick Kypreos

Centers are a high-end commodity following a free agent market that disappeared in an instant. Nazem Kadri is now on the trade board. With a thin centre market, Nazem Kadri's worth is rising.

If Calgary GM Craig Conroy is interested in selling him, there are suitors, with Montreal and Toronto being two teams who are reputedly interested.

Edmonton should keep their eyes peeled on trying to acquire Nazem Kadri

You may want to throw Edmonton in the mix, although Calgary likely wouldn't be too fond of a divisional trade, especially to a provincial rival.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are another club one must keep an eye on. Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, and Erik Karlsson have Kypreos keeping them in mind as trade targets for the Oilers, but the more unexpected name quietly being tracked is that of Sidney Crosby.

Buffalo defenseman Bowen Byram, who inked a two-year deal, is removed from the trade candidate list for now. While the Sabres still can deal him, his upcoming unrestricted free agency in two seasons renders a trade less possible.

With the best available free agents already inked, the wheeling and dealing market now offers the most freely flowing channels of teams getting a boost, and with talent in short supply, that first blockbuster trade can lead to a domino effect throughout the league.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: