NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has confirmed that the Edmonton Oilers roster will look much different after the trade deadline, and provided their latest trade candidates.
The Oilers have just claimed Alec Regula off waivers and sent down Travis Dermott, but it's respected they'll make a much higher impact move before the playoffs.
On Sportsnet Radio today, Friedman confirmed the Oilers will acquire a defenceman before the trade deadline, and listed 8 potential candidates.
Many of these named the Oilers have been connected to before, but a few are newly reported to be available for trade at all, and could be very interesting options.
Elliotte Friedman Reveals New Defenceman Available for Trade, Potential Fits for Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have been connected to the bigger name veterans on this list, Cam Fowler, Ivan Provorov, and Rasmus Andersson.
Insider Bob Stauffer has recently connected Cam Fowler to the Edmonton Oilers, and Blue Jackets blueliner Ivan Provorov has been linked to the Oilers as well. Rasmus Andersson would be a great fit, but the Flames ownership would reportedly deny a trade to their rival Edmonton.
Perhaps the most interesting player listed is Anaheim Ducks defenceman Pavel Mintyukov. Drafted 10th overall in the 2022 draft, the left shot Russian defenceman has already played 86 NHL games by the age of 21.
Mintyukov has produced great analytical results on a brutal Anaheim team in the last two seasons, and if they were to move him, the Oilers could be interested in acquiring him as a long term piece for their defence.
The remaining candidates listed are mostly veteran defensive defenceman: Will Borgen, David Savard, Brian Dumoulin, and Alec Martinez. All players of this group, outside of Martinez, can struggle to make a good first pass - and that's an important skill in Edmonton.
Adding any of the players listed would vastly improve the Oilers blueline as it is today, and it's great to hear that Edmonton is fully committed to making that addition.
Hopefully their scouting department nails down the best fit for the Oilers, and they get the best possible addition for another long playoff run.
