Oilers rumour roundup: Alex Tuch linked to Edmonton

As you can see, Jeff Marek is linking Sabres forward Alex Tuch to the Oilers a lot here. I talked about Tuch earlier in the year as a potential trade option . Once again his name is surfing around the league. With the Buffalo Sabres primed for another playoff-less season and as an upcoming UFA on a very team friendly deal, Tuch is by far one of the best if not the best name available when March rolls around.

The Oilers still have a dire need of another top-six winger despite how good Andrew Mangiapane and Matt Savoie have looked with the absence of Zach Hyman. Tuch is a 6’4” tank who has multiple 36-goal seasons under his belt, can drive play, good defensively, and is a warrior out there blocking and hitting everything in sight. He’d be a dream addition to this group. Let’s see where this goes deeper into this season.

Connor Ingram is ready to roll

Connor Ingram was acquired on October 1 in a trade with the Utah Mammoth. He’s yet to practice with the group, but he’s all set to make his first on-ice appearance since February 22, 2025.

Ingram should be the de facto #1 guy in Bakersfield as the season rolls on. He could also be slated for a few starts in Edmonton, dependent on the Stuart Skinner/Calvin Pickard situation up in the big leagues. Ingram may need some time to really get going and gel with the group since it’s a new environment, and again, he hasn’t been in game action for a while. Nonetheless, I bet most fans are excited to see how he fares.

Will Stecher or Emberson be moved?

Moreso speculation on my end, but with the looming Jake Walman and Alec Regula returns this weekend, the Oilers most likely need to let go of Ty Emberson or Troy Stecher.

If I were a betting man, I feel like Stecher is the most likely candidate to leave. Emberson is a big part of the Oilers penalty kill and while he makes more, he’s younger with more room to grow. Stecher has also been shaky to start the year, with two games in a row taking costly, undisciplined penalties.

Whether a move is done through waivers or a trade remains to be seen, but I do think Stecher, albeit low, has some value. He’s making pratically league minimum, is a right-hand shot, 562 games of NHL experience, and has playoff experience. He’d definitely get claimed on waivers so might as well try to get back a sixth or seventh rounder in return,

Oilers scouting Blue Jackets

Our final piece of news comes from Columbus Blue Jackets Reporter Aaron Portzline. Three Oiler scouts, including goaltending scout Jeff Salajko, took part in watching the Jackets and Colorado Avalanche game.

I think there’s two notable names that can come to mind: Elvis Merzlikins and Yegor Chinakhov. Chinakhov requested a trade from the team this summer and has switched agents, meanwhile, Merzlikins has also requested a trade and has seemed to be on the block forever.

The inclusion of Salajko being here makes it feel like they’re targeting Merzlikins, who does carry a hefty cap hit and has had some very poor seasons recently. Chinakhov is interesting, but I don’t see the team taking a chance on another young guy who makes $2.1M since they just signed another forward in Jack Roslovic and are barely giving Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard ice time.

That’s it for this week’s Oilers roundup. A lot of interesting tidbits and speculation this week!