For the Edmonton Oilers and the team’s fans, nothing hurts more than Connor McDavid’s injury.
The most recent happened Monday night in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. Having Edmonton’s captain sidelined for an extended period of time is a serious issue and could mean an earlier-than-expected trade.
It’s impossible to replace McDavid, but the club could strengthen in other areas (like defense) in his absence through trades.
What’s available? I recently looked at five potential right-handed defensive solutions, and the team should be able to find a suitable center or winger if needed.
The bigger question is what assets general manager Stan Bowman can reliably buy in trades to other teams. That’s a very good question.
changing times
A year ago, I listed six potential trade assets for the 2024 deadline. A few months later, the assets of four of them (2024 first-round picks Philippe Broberg, Xavier Bourgaud and Raphael Lavoie) were either liquidated or lost to offer sheets/waivers.
Here are the main assets that Bowman could trade between now and the trade deadline:
1. Matt Savoie
Young winger Matt Savoy was acquired from the Buffalo Sabers over the summer in the deal that sent Ryan McLeod out.
The organization probably doesn’t want to trade him, and it would definitely take a significant return to lure him away from the Oilers.
Savoie is 20 years old, has had a good run in the AHL (1-3-4 in six games with the Bakersfield Condors) and is a true top-end prospect who is close to playing in the NHL. That makes him unique among Edmonton’s top prospects. He could be a scoring winger in the NHL in the late 2020s and spend most of the season on a value contract.
The trade request that Bowman turned down due to his ability may end up with Savoie. He’s a unicorn among Oilers prospects.
2. 2026 1st selection
Edmonton traded a 2025 first-round pick in the 2024 draft and took center Sam O’Reilly with the 32nd pick.
Draft picks have some protection (Edmonton has top 12 protection unless the team trades a 2026 first-round pick). Even with McDavid’s injury, it seems like a long shot for the Oilers to land a top-12 pick. Fans should consider the 2025 first-round pick a long time ago.
A 2026 first-round pick is probably worth less than this year’s pick, and that will be a factor in the deal. NHL teams will be focused on the 2025 draft before the deadline, so the 2026 first pick could be the most valuable of the team’s draft picks.
3. Cap space
The Oilers have acquired significant cap space through the first 10 games of the NHL season. According to PuckPedia, the total is $1.28 million, an amount that the team could pay for an additional $5 million at deadline if the dollars continue to grow at current rates.
McDavid’s injury and subsequent recalls of two players (Noah Phillippe and Drake Kajiura) will place the team on LTIR for some time.
Presumably, management will back away from LTIR at some point after the coaching staff finds 12 players who can provide consistent quality.
Bowman is expected to have enough room to sign a big contract before the deadline. Cap space has real value, especially as the deadline approaches. If a team has a chance to offload a veteran defenseman who makes more than $4 million, and he has one year left on his contract, Edmonton could acquire a useful piece for just a few extra assets.
4. Beau Akey
The Oilers selected Akey in the second round of the 2023 draft when Ken Holland was general manager and Tyler Wright was amateur scouting director.
Akey’s ties to current management aren’t as strong as they are for players like O’Reilly, who were poached under the current administration.
The Oilers can afford Akey. Because his skill set has been copied (and more) by Evan Bouchard. This player will be a key part of the organization for the rest of the decade.
Akey missed most of last season due to injury and had a slow start to the 2024-25 OHL season, but is currently scoring (2-3-5 in 9 games) and could turn pro next season. I plan to.
Akey will graduate to the pros next fall, so he will likely appeal to other NHL teams.
5. Sam O’Reilly
As with Savoie, trading O’Reilly would be a difficult deal for current management. The organization likes him enough to trade a future first-round pick, and that’s a rousing endorsement from important people in the competitive hockey world.
O’Reilly performed well in Oilers camp, and Edmonton signed him to an entry-level contract in mid-October. He’s had good offensive numbers so far in his junior season (4-4-8 in 10 games with the OHL London Knights).
O’Reilly has all the skill sets and could be a second- or third-line center in the NHL if he explodes offensively once he turns pro.
Oilers director of amateur scouting Rick Placey and his staff must have lobbied hard for O’Reilly before the draft, but it’s hard to imagine that group being less enthusiastic now.
That being said, O’Reilly is an attractive trade target for other NHL teams.
Other options
Ty Emberson was just acquired, and the Oilers would be wise to give him a full season to show what he can do as an NHL player. If the opposing team has a perfect fit and Emberson is wanted, Bowman will likely let go of a solid young defender in order to improve in the short term.
Paul Fisher is an impressive college defenseman acquired from the St. Louis Blues in a trade that completed the offer sheet for Broberg and Dylan Holloway. The Oilers rate him highly and the scouting reports are encouraging. If he does end up in the NHL, it will likely be as a second or third pairing option and a player to keep opponents honest.
Maxim Denizhkin is a Russian power forward who is taking a new step offensively this season. He is 6-11-17 in 20 games this season, a big step up from his previous best (30 points in 62 games).
Bowman has had success recruiting Russian players to North America in the past, and Denizhkin looks like an NHL player from here. If another organization is willing to part ways with a player who could immediately help them with their future prospects, that deal will likely come together quickly.
(Photo by Matt Savoie: Leila Devlin/Getty Images)
