Oilers Rumours: Troy Stecher and Stuart Skinner both options to be traded

Baseball season is over, trees are bare of leaves, and that means hockey season is in full swing.

It’s been a mediocre start to the season for the Edmonton Oilers, whose win over the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night moved them to 6-4-3 on the season through their first 13 games. The team knows they need to be better, and with the team going all in every year, the front office is ready to do what it takes to improve the roster.

And with hockey season in full swing, so too are the rumours.

Stecher on the move?

There was much talk earlier in the season about the roster logjam that was coming after the team signed Jack Roslovic. And while some of that talk was stymied, it’s returned to the front burner as Zach Hyman nears his return from his wrist injury.

The Oilers are looking to make a trade to help free themselves from the crunch, and on Saturday night during Sportsnet’s Headlines segment, Elliotte Friedman reported the team is looking to find a “soft landing” for defenceman Troy Stecher.

“They got a lot of players coming back from injury. There’s Hyman can come back, Janmark can come back, Regula can come back. One of the names that’s definitely going around there is Troy Stecher. He’s one of the extra D, and they have a couple of extra right now. Now, it doesn’t necessarily have to be Stecher. I think the Oilers have considered a bunch of things, but he is definitely one of the people that’s being considered. I’ve heard there is some interest, and I think the Oilers are trying to find him a soft landing.”

Stecher, 31, has spent parts of the last three seasons in Edmonton, acquired at the 2024 trade deadline from the Arizona Coyotes for a fourth-round pick. He’s been a valuable depth defender for the Oilers, drawing in for 79 regular-season games scoring three goals and nine points, and eight playoff games in the 2024-25 run.

A pending unrestricted free agent, Stecher carries a $787,500 cap hit.

Could Skinner be traded?

Edmonton’s goaltending has been the hottest of hot button items in recent years, and it’s been no secret the team has been open to upgrading in the net. While they haven’t found the right move, that doesn’t mean the front office isn’t open to options.

TSN’s Ryan Rishaug joined Bob Staffer on OilersNOW earlier in October where he talked about Stuart Skinner being “on the clock” in Edmonton. Rishaug joined Stauffer on Friday’s edition of the show, where he talked about how if the right deal presented itself that saw them move Skinner for another goaltender, the Oilers wouldn’t hesitate to make the deal.

“Here’s the situation as I see it: If a deal comes up that allows Stan Bowman to make a trade tomorrow, that he knows in his gut is going to be an upgrade in net and it involves moving from Stuart Skinner, it’s done, it’s done, no question. I don’t think that deal is going to happen, I don’t think there’s a deal to be had. I don’t think there would be a second’s hesitation to do the deal if he knew he could improve that position tomorrow. Why would he hesitate?”

Rishaug would go on to say that the team already has a potential plan in place with Connor Ingram with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, but “if by December/January, it doesn’t look like Skinner ready to take a step and it isn’t very clear he’s made improvements, it’s not going well in the American League and he’s not quite ready either, (Bowman’s) going to have no choice.”