Bowman reveals Edmonton Oilers trade deadline plans after first two deals
The Edmonton Oilers have brought three new players into the fold ahead of the trade deadline, but are they done?
GM Stan Bowman has been busy this week, making two separate trades with the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire defenceman Connor Murphy, as well as forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. In return, Edmonton gave up a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and Andrew Mangiapane.
Those two deals will make the Oilers a better overall defensive team down the stretch, but many were wondering if this was it for Edmonton’s deadline shenanigans. Bowman met with local media on Thursday, where he revealed the team’s plans heading into tomorrow’s deadline.
“I would imagine that we’re done, I don’t expect to make other moves,” Bowman said. “Part of our job is to see what’s out there. I’m looking at where we’re at. I think any further addition wouldn’t be a significant one.
“Most likely, I’d say this is our team.”
"We’re trying to build a team, we’re not trying to build a collection of individual players."#Oilers General Manager Stan Bowman addresses the media after acquiring Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson & Colton Dach from Chicago.
@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/rAQDGwG2Wq— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) March 5, 2026
By the sounds of it, the Oilers do sound like they’ve made their major moves of the deadline and are content with how the team looks after the new additions. There had been some speculation over recent days that Edmonton could make a bigger, more blockbuster-like deal before Friday, but Bowman appeared to pour cold water on that notion.
The onus on turning this season around will rest solely on the players in the Oilers dressing room for the remaining 20 games of the regular season. Murphy will likely slot into the team’s second pairing, while Dickinson slides into the third-line centre role. Dach, on the other hand, will probably be a fourth-line, energy type of player.
Despite all of Edmonton’s struggles, they are still in a playoff spot in the Pacific Division and are just four points back of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights.
If they can find a way to get hot to end the season, they could easily put themselves in a position to win the franchise’s first division title since the 1986-87 season. However, any stumble could be costly with the Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and LA Kings nipping at their heels.
The fate of the season will rest on this final stretch of games, and it’ll be up to this group of players on how it’ll turn out.