5 players Edmonton Oilers could try to trade this summer
An important offseason is awaiting the Edmonton Oilers, and big changes could be on the way.
Speculation on how much change is coming to the Oilers organization has been all over the place since getting eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs last month. Kris Knoblauch’s future as head coach is in question, as is Stan Bowman’s job as GM, and Darnell Nurse’s name has officially entered the trade rumour mill.Ā
They call it the silly season for a reason, but there is reason to believe that seismic moves could be on the horizon for Edmonton. The urgency to win has never been higher with Connor McDavid under contract for just two more seasons, and last year proved the Oilers were not good enough.
Outside of potential staff changes, the Oilers should be very active in the trade market this summer, and to do that, you have to be willing to part with roster players.
Here are five players the Oilers could look to trade this offseason…
1. Darnell Nurse
Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images
Age: 31
2025-26 stats: 7 G, 17 A, 24 PTS, 82 GP
Cap hit: $9.25 million (UFA-2030)
The Oilers reportedly already attempted to trade Nurse to the Toronto Maple Leafs during last season’s trade deadline, so what will stop them from trying again?
It’s not that Nurse is a horrible player, but his pricey cap hit has been a problem since the ink dried on his contract back in 2021. Any trade involving the longtime Oilers rearguard would likely amount to a cap dump at this point, but he could still hold value around the league.
Nurse does hold a no-movement clause that Edmonton will have to work around.
2. Tristan Jarry
Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images
Age: 31
2025-26 stats: 18-9-3, .883 SV%, -4.1 GSAx
Cap hit: $5.375 million (UFA-2028)
Oilers GM Stan Bowman finally swung a goalie trade with Tristan Jarry last season, and it almost immediately blew up in his face.
Jarry struggled mightily with the Oilers and lost his starting job to Connor Ingram down the stretch. He was among the worst goalies in the NHL during the second-half of the season, but he’s still got two seasons remaining at a pricey cap hit.
Ideally, Edmonton would find a way to completely rejig the position with two new goalies, but they’d need to move on from Jarry to do that.
3. Isaac Howard
Simon Fearn/Imagn Images
Age: 22
2025-26 stats: 2 G, 3 A, 5 PTS, 29 GP
Cap hit: $950,000 (RFA-2028)
The Oilers need to get younger and faster, so why would they trade away Isaac Howard?
There is a good chance that Howard becomes a full-time NHL player next season, and he holds all sorts of offensive potential. On paper, he should be exactly what Edmonton needs, and it’s just a bonus that he is on a cheap entry-level deal.
The issue is that Edmonton may not have a better trade chip in its arsenal. If the Oilers want to make a move for an impact player, it’s likely other teams will be asking for Howard.
4. Trent Frederic
Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images
Age: 28
2025-26 stats: 4 G, 3 A, 7 PTS, 74 GP
Cap hit: $3.85 million (UFA-2033)
No Oilers player struggled more than Trent Frederic this past season.
Patience could be wearing thin just one season after he inked a puzzling eight-year extension with the club. That was always a strange deal, and Frederic’s struggles this past season have only made it look worse.
It seems hard to believe that a lot of teams will be lining up to take over the rest of Frederic’s deal, and his having a no-movement clause complicates things as well.
Still, they should be gauging the market for Frederic.
5. Mattias Janmark
Jerome Miron/Imagn Images
Age: 33
2025-26 stats: 1 G, 7 A, 8 PTS, 43 GP
Cap hit: $1.45 million (UFA-2027)
The Mattias Janmark era has continued to be underwhelming for the Oilers.
While he may be a penalty-kill specialist, just about every other facet of his game has stalled. Janmark has a grand total of three goals over the past two seasons and has been plagued with injury issues of late.
At this point, he could easily be replaced by someone on the farm. Getting out of the last year of his deal seems like a no-brainer, and there is likely someone who would take a flier on him.