Oilers losing bidding war for key trade target!

The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a familiar spot: eyeing a premium defensive target while facing real questions about whether they can put together a compelling enough package to get a deal done.

Veteran hockey columnist Jim Matheson believes Oilers GM Stan Bowman should be aggressively exploring what it would take to acquire Simon Edvinsson, the 23-year-old Swedish defenseman who remains unsigned and unhappy in Detroit. But Matheson also acknowledges that Edmonton likely falls short in a bidding war against other suitors.

Edvinsson, a 6-foot-6, 222-pound left-shot blueliner, spent significant time alongside Norris Trophy contender Moritz Seider last season. The pair logged over 1,000 even-strength minutes together and outscored opponents 50-38 during that stretch. He is currently skating with Frolunda in Sweden's top league.

TSN's Craig Button compared Edvinsson to Mattias Ekholm, which paints a picture of the kind of player Edmonton could be adding. In an ideal scenario, Edvinsson would eventually slot in beside Evan Bouchard as Ekholm, now 36, transitions into a second-pairing role.

The problem for the Oilers is straightforward. They reportedly lack a single asset valuable enough for a one-for-one swap.

That means Edmonton would need to assemble a multi-piece package, likely including a young forward, a defenseman with a sizable cap hit to balance the financials, and at least one more top prospect or future first-round pick. The Oilers do not have a first-rounder in 2027, which further limits their flexibility.

Matheson suggests that winger Ike Howard, the 22-year-old Hobey Baker winner out of Michigan State, could be part of Edmonton's offer. However, he notes that Howard has played just 33 NHL games and remains unproven at the highest level, which might not be enough to entice Detroit. A more attractive piece from the Red Wings' perspective could reportedly be Matt Savoie, who posted 18 goals and 37 points in his rookie NHL season and proved himself as a reliable penalty killer. At the same age as Howard but considerably further along in his development, Savoie would represent a more polished asset.

On the defensive side, Jake Walman, who carries a $7 million AAV on a seven-year deal and previously played for Detroit, could be included to make the salary cap math work. Walman currently sits on Edmonton's third pairing.

Matheson also floated the idea of Vasily Podkolzin being part of discussions but suggested the 25-year-old winger, who has exploded offensively since the start of the season, should likely be considered off limits.

Multiple teams are reportedly lining up to pitch Detroit on an Edvinsson trade if the defenseman ultimately refuses to return. The Oilers' window with Connor McDavid on a two-year deal makes the urgency real, even if the path to acquiring Edvinsson remains complicated. It's also complicated in Detroit seeing that even though Edvinsson may be seeking a change of scenery, interim GM Shawn Horcoff maintains that he is not looking to trade the young blueliner.

“I have zero interest in trading Simon Edvinsson," he repeated on Wednesday,.

Still, it seems like Matheson's latest advice to Bowman is simple: make the call to Horcoff, a former Oilers captain, and see what happens. Even if the odds are long, the potential payoff would be enormous.