The Edmonton Oilers have played well to start the season, coming out of a slow start and improving their record to 6-5-1 through their first twelve games. While they have been without a captain Connor McDavid They have played two games and are expected to miss him for a few more weeks. They have played well in his absence and have continued to improve. As McDavid continues to rehabilitate his leg injury, moving forward Evander Kane continues to do so He is rehabilitating several injuries suffered during last season’s play-offs and could be aiming for a return as early as January 2025. If Kane returns soon, the Oilers could be forced to part with a forward to afford Kane’s cap hit, and an Oilers insider recently mentioned two names as potential trade candidates.
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Oilers insider Bob Stauffer recently alluded to a surprise trade on the Oilers Now show, saying, “I think it’s inevitable that the Oilers trade for a right-handed shooting defenseman… for the most part, they’ll be picks that get used.” However, Stauffer added that Kane’s return could see someone on the left wing forced out, with Jeff Skinner and Mattias Janmark mentioned as potential trade candidates. Janmark has a three-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $1.45 million, while Skinner has a one-year deal worth $3 million. Skinner has six points, while Janmark has three points, both from 12 games this season.
Evander Kane, Edmonton Oilers (Amy Irvin / The hockey writers)
While this would be a surprise for any of them if they were to be moved, it would be smarter to try to trade one of them rather than risk getting them off waivers and losing them for nothing. Skinner has played well enough for a contending team to warrant paying for him, but it wouldn’t make sense for the Oilers to move him just yet. Of the two, the most likely candidate to be moved appears to be Janmark, who has been disappointing offensively to start the campaign, but his strength on the penalty kill makes him an attractive addition, especially in the postseason.
Contending teams can make inquiries once Kane gets healthy
Both Skinner and Janmark could be valuable assets to a contending team if the Oilers decide to move them. The Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames are just a handful of prospects who could all inquire about their availability if they find themselves in the playoffs heading into the new year. The Oilers’ tight cap situation makes it a strong possibility that they try to free up money before Kane returns so they can continue to build cap space ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, and those two could bring back the most draft capital for teams that are looking to strengthen their forward depth for a play-off run.
Assuming Stauffer’s theory is correct that the Oilers are preparing to acquire a right defenseman, they could try to wait it out and either use the picks from a Skinner/Janmark deal to acquire an upgrade defensively, or they can wrap up one of those attackers. in a deal that includes picks for a higher defenseman. The ideal pickup on the blue line this season would be Dante Fabbro of the Nashville Predators or Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames, but time will tell if the team decides to look for a depth defenseman or a top-four addition .
The Oilers appear to be playing well enough to warrant being buyers at the upcoming deadline, especially if they can continue to play strong and build momentum for when McDavid returns. If they decide to pick a defenseman, they could try to package one of Skinner or Janmark in the trade instead of dumping them and making two separate trades. While it would be nice to keep both of them, they have a defensive depth problem that needs to be resolved if they want to make another deep postseason run.
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