Oilers looking to trade for a depth forward to offset Kane injury: report

The Edmonton Oilers could be looking to add a bit of jam up front.

Currently sitting 18th in the league and fourth in the Pacific Division, it’s obvious that Edmonton hasn’t quite gotten off to the start it would’ve liked this year with just an 11-10 record.

There’s been a few reasons the Oilers haven’t quite been up to speed after making last year’s Western Conference Finals, one of which is the long-term wrist injury to Evander Kane suffered earlier this month in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes the Oilers are looking to add a bit of an “edgy” forward to their group, partially to offset the injury of Kane.

“One thing I do think the Oilers are looking at is just some depth forwards who are edgy, or can grind a little bit,” Friedman said Saturday during an intermission segment on Hockey Night in Canada. “I think there’s a feeling since Evander Kane went out that they’re a lot easier to play against, and I do think the Oilers are looking to see — they’re tight on the cap — can they find a budget player or two that can make a difference in some of their forward depth?”

Kane, who is in the first year of a five-year contract with Edmonton worth $5.125 million per year, had five goals and eight assists in 14 games this season before going down with injury.

With Kane on long-term injured reserve (along with Mike Smith, Oscar Klefbom, and Tyler Benson), Edmonton currently has $2.4 million in current salary cap space, per Capfriendly.com.

Last season, Kane had 22 goals, and 17 assists in 43 games for the Oilers after signing midseason, while he added 13 goals and four assists in 15 games for the Oilers in the 2022 playoffs.

You might also like:
• Oilers destined to miss playoffs according to popular analytics site