Oilers aren’t done with major trades after goalie shakeup

The Edmonton Oilers may have already made one of their biggest moves of the season by trading Stuart Skinner to the Pittsburgh Penguins with netminder Tristan Jarry coming back as part of the package, but according to insider Bob Stauffer, that may not be the end of the story.

Speaking recently on Oilers Now, Stauffer suggested the Oilers are still actively exploring ways to improve their roster, particularly up front. In his view, adding another forward feels inevitable as the team continues to search for more offensive balance.

“For Edmonton, I do foresee a scenario where probably at some point they’re gonna add another forward here. I think that’s inevitable,” Stauffer said.

The need is fairly obvious. While the Oilers’ top six has delivered at times, consistent production from the third line has been hard to come by. Edmonton has often struggled to generate sustained offense beyond its star players like captain Connor McDavid and teammates Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, making additional depth scoring a clear priority as the season moves along.

Stauffer also hinted that the Oilers may not be chasing a flashy name. Instead, the team could look for a player similar to Vasily Podkolzin, meaning someone who wasn’t viewed as a headline-grabbing addition at the time, but has since grown into a dependable and effective role player.

That said, any potential move will come with complications. As was the case in the Jarry trade, salary-cap constraints remain a significant hurdle for Edmonton. Any deal would likely need to be a dollar-in, dollar-out transaction, or require a separate cost-cutting move to create the necessary flexibility.

Still, if Stauffer’s read is accurate, the Oilers aren’t finished reshaping their roster and another move could be coming sooner rather than later. It is however important to note that the NHL’s holiday trade freeze begins at midnight, meaning all action is paused until Sunday, December 28th.