7 defencemen Edmonton Oilers could target before trade deadline
We are now under 24 hours until the 2025 NHL trade deadline hits and the Edmonton Oilers are reported to be fishing for another deal.
The dream of upgrading the goaltending doesn’t seem to be on the cusp of happening anytime soon, but there are reports that Edmonton is looking to add a defenceman. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun has said that the Oilers have been scouring the defensive market in the days leading up to the deadline.
Add that to the latest news of Evander Kane opening up a decent amount of cap space, the Oilers could very well swing another deal before the deadline expires.
So, who could the Oilers potentially target in a trade for a defenceman? Here are seven candidates:
1. Brandon Carlo, Boston Bruins
2024-25 stats: 1G, 8A, 9PTS, 62GP
Contract: $4.1 million (UFA-2027)
Age: 28
The Oilers already made one deal with the Boston Bruins, why not another?
Brandon Carlo has had something of a tough season and has seen his stock drop a bit from his previous years with the Bruins. With Boston teetering on the edge of being a seller, he could very well shake loose.
Despite the down year, Carlo is still more than capable of being a top-four defenceman in this league and could fit right in on Edmonton’s second-pairing as a shut-down guy.
2. Mario Ferraro, San Jose Sharks
2024-25 stats: 5G, 6A, 11PTS, 63GP
Contract: $3.25 million (UFA-2026)
Age: 26
The San Jose Sharks are once again selling, and defenceman Mario Ferraro has been casually linked to the Oilers.
LeBrun speculated about the Sharks defender being a fit for the Oilers in a piece written earlier today, but it’s unclear if Edmonton has interest. Ferraro has some ugly underlying numbers over the past few seasons, but he is used to playing a lot of minutes.
He’d be a risky get and one you would hope could improve with a better team.
3. Carson Soucy, Vancouver Canucks
2024-25 stats: 3G, 7A, 10PTS, 59 GP
Contract: $3.25 million (UFA-2026)
Age: 30
Carson Soucy’s time with the Vancouver Canucks looks like it’s coming to an end, but will he get traded to a division rival?
Vancouver’s previous trade to acquire Marcus Pettersson has pushed Soucy down the depth chart on the West Coast. He’s a shutdown guy who has plenty of experience killing penalties, but can he be the top-four guy that the Oilers need? Likely not.
Soucy wouldn’t be a bad depth pickup if Edmonton could get some retention.
4. Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers
2024-25 stats: 4G, 15A, 19PTS, 59GP
Contract: $5.1 million (UFA-2027)
Age: 30
The most expensive player on this list is Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers.
The towering Finn has long been maligned with poor underlying numbers, but he is experiencing a bit of a renaissance this season. He has been among the Flyers’ most dependable defenders, and he is managing to get on the scoresheet as well.
Reports say that Philly has set a high trade price for Ristolainen and is more than willing to hang onto him. For that reason, he seems unlikely for the Oilers.
5. Jamie Oleksiak, Seattle Kraken
2024-25 stats: 4G, 9A, 13PTS, 62GP
Contract: $4.6 million (UFA-2026)
Age: 32
If the Oilers want the backend to strike fear into opposing players, Jamie Oleksiak might be their best bet.
The Seattle Kraken defenceman is gigantic at six foot seven and 252 lbs and would almost certainly add a new dimension to Edmonton’s blueline. Like some other players on this list, he isn’t quite the player he was a few seasons ago, but there is potential that he could step into a top-four role if needed.
The Oilers would need to get a part of his cap hit retained if they want to make it work.
6. Connor Murphy, Chicago Blackhawks
2024-25 stats: 1G, 15A, 16PTS, 49GP
Contract: $4.4 million (UFA-2026)
Age: 31
Oilers GM Stan Bowman may be keeping an eye on his former club as defenceman Connor Murphy could be on the move.
While he may not be the sexiest move out on the trade market right now, Murphy has done a serviceable job on a very bad Blackhawks team. He fits the bill of a shutdown defenceman at six-foot-four, and he is used to eating up a lot of minutes.
Again, his cap hit could be an issue, but he just feels like a player the Oilers would be interested in.
7. Egor Zamula, Philadelphia Flyers
2024-25 stats: 3G, 11A, 14PTS, 44GP
Contract: $1.7 million (RFA-2026)
Age: 24
An interesting name potentially on the trade market is Egor Zamula in Philadelphia.
Not much has been said about the young Russian, but SDPN’s Steve Dangle floated his name earlier today, and he makes a lot of sense for Edmonton.
Zamula, again, is a hefty package, but he also combines that with a mobile game and is not bad at moving the puck up the ice. He has sparkling underlying numbers, and it feels a little strange that the Flyers could be looking to move him.
He is the youngest (and cheapest) player on this list, and you have to imagine that the trade price won’t be astronomical.