Ranking the Oilers’ Biggest Trade Deadline Needs

The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is fast approaching, and the Edmonton Oilers are looking to finally get over the hump after back-to-back heartbreaking Stanley Cup Final losses. The Oilers have some needs to address, so general manager Stan Bowman must work the phones and improve the roster.

There’s one area that doesn’t require improvement, and that’s goaltending. Goaltending has been a topic of concern and an area of weakness for years. However, Bowman addressed that by trading for Connor Ingram in October and acquiring Tristan Jarry in December. Now, their tandem is set, so the focus shifts to fixing other areas of their roster.

However, Edmonton is constrained by the salary cap, and they don’t have a wealth of valuable assets to trade away. They may not be able to address all the areas they want to. Therefore, they must select and prioritize what they deem most crucial. With that said, let’s rank the Oilers’ trade deadline needs from least important to most important.

Least Important: Depth Defenceman

While acquiring a depth defenceman would cost the least, and be the easiest to obtain, it shouldn’t be at the top of the priority list. That’s not to say management shouldn’t add another defenceman because blue line depth is essential if you hope to survive a deep playoff run. It’s unrealistic to assume that you can get through an entire postseason with seven defencemen.

The Oilers currently have Spencer Stastney and Ty Emberson as their fifth and sixth defencemen, with Alec Regula clearly as their number seven. The question remains: Are the Oilers comfortable with Regula as their seventh defenceman heading into the playoffs? Regula has struggled this season, so management could look to add a defender to push him down the depth chart.

Defencemen that Bowman could target include Tyler Tucker, Logan Stanley, Luke Schenn, Jamie Oleksiak, and Connor Murphy. Depending on the asking price, they would be better off spending assets and cap space elsewhere. There are more glaring holes that must be addressed.

Second-Most Important: Scoring Winger

Some might say this is the biggest need, but it should be second on the priority list. While the Oilers don’t necessarily have elite wingers, they have solid complementary players who have developed chemistry with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.

The top line of McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is elite and should remain intact. Then, there’s the second line of Draisaitl, Vasily Podkolzin, and Kasperi Kapanen, who also play extremely well together. Jack Roslovic can also slide on that line and fit in perfectly.

The problem with acquiring a scoring winger is that they’re expensive in acquisition cost and salary. Artemi Panarin, Jared McCann, Brayden Schenn, Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, and Jake DeBrusk could be available. Making the money work with any of these players is extremely challenging and would require significant salary cap gymnastics. Andrew Mangiapane and Adam Henrique must be moved to make this plausible, but they have no-movement clauses (NMC), complicating matters.

If the right deal is available, and they can remain cap compliant, the Oilers should definitely acquire a top-six scoring winger. But that’s not the biggest need.

Most Important: Third-Line Centre

If the Oilers only make one move this trade deadline, it must be acquiring a third-line centre. The Oilers’ bottom six has struggled immensely, and they desperately require a solution down the middle. Henrique is injured until after the Olympic break, but he has had an abysmal season as the third-line centre, registering a measly two goals and 10 points in 43 games. He hasn’t been productive enough, and an upgrade is required.