4 current Edmonton Oilers players who could be traded this summer
The Edmonton Oilers will be doing some surgery on the roster this summer.
GM Stan Bowman has already told the media that they will not be running back the same lineup when the puck drops on the 2025-26 NHL season. While he expressed confidence in the defensive core, he seemed less enthused by both the Oilers’ goaltending and overall forward group.
Just about every offseason sees the Oilers make some sort of change to the lineup. There are bound to be a few free agency signings for Edmonton, but there is also the potential for some trades.
The Oilers will need some added cap flexibility this offseason to re-sign the likes of Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard to extensions, and that could mean a few current players will need to be shipped out in a trade.
Here are four players currently under contract in Edmonton who could find themselves involved in a trade over the next four months:
Viktor Arvidsson
Age: 32
2024-25 stats: 67 GP, 15 G, 12 A, 27 PTS
Current cap-hit: $4 million (UFA-2026)
The Oilers are headed toward an amicable divorce with Viktor Arvidsson, just a year after signing him to a two-year deal.
Things did not work out for the Swede in the Alberta capital, having seen a sharp decline in production during the regular season and then being a healthy scratch in the playoffs. Arvidsson still managed 15 goals in Edmonton, but it’s clear that he just isn’t a fit for this Oilers team.
He should have some decent value on the trade market as a middle-six scorer, and his price tag isn’t awful considering a rising cap.
Evander Kane
Age: 33
2024-25 stats: (playoffs) 21 GP, 6 G, 6 A, 12 PTS
Current cap-hit: $5.125 million (UFA-2026)
It certainly feels like we’re reaching the end of the road on Evander Kane’s Oilers tenure.
The veteran power forward missed the entire regular season recovering from multiple injuries, but put together a good playoff run. That, combined with the fact that he’s in the last year of his current deal, should make him a movable asset this summer.
Edmonton desperately needs to shed some cap, and moving Kane’s entire $5.125 million off the books would help with that.
Max Jones
Age: 27
2024-25 stats: 26 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS
Current contract: $1 million (UFA-2026)
Not much was expected of Max Jones when he was acquired at the trade deadline, but he accomplished even less than expected.
The 27-year-old was brought in to bring some grit and sandpaper to the bottom-six and, at worst, to be the Oilers’ extra forward for a playoff run. Instead, he was relegated to the black aces squad and saw exactly zero action in the playoffs. All the while being surpassed by Kasperi Kapanen.
Jones is under contract for next season, but it’s challenging to envision a role he could realistically fill on this Oilers team.
Calvin Pickard
Age:Ā 33
2024-25 stats: 22-10-1, .900 SV%, -9.1 GSAx
Current contract: $1 million (UFA-2026)
The Oilers are expected to bring in another goalie into the fold this offseason, and Calvin Pickard is the odd man out.
Edmonton appears to be committed to ensuring that Stuart Skinner is part of a goalie tandem next season, but an upgrade on Pickard is necessary to achieve that. That’s no slight to the veteran, who jumped in excellently in both the regular season and playoffs with fantastic results.
Pickard successfully rejuvenated his career in the Alberta capital, and a trip back to the AHL shouldn’t be in the cards as plenty of teams will likely be interested in his services.