Roman Josi could be interesting Edmonton Oilers trade target

Could the Edmonton Oilers go back to the Nashville Predators in a trade for an impact defenceman?

That worked out excellently last time, as then-Oilers GM Ken Holland managed to acquire Mattias Ekholm from the Predators in the lead-up to the 2023 NHL trade deadline.

Stan Bowman may have the opportunity to repeat history with a similar deal with the Predators this season, as trade rumours are starting to creep up around captain Roman Josi.

NHL insider David Pagnotta told Daily Faceoff Edmonton last week that the Predators captain could shake loose as he is set to hit free agency next summer.

“Roman Josi’s name, a little bit, has circulated, a tiny bit, with a year left on his contract,” Pagnotta said.

Further to that, 880 CHED’s Bob Stauffer talked about the possibility of the Oilers trading for Josi on Monday’s edition of OilersNow. Though he seemed a bit unsure if it was a realistic scenario for Edmonton.

“You’re going to hear a lot about Nashville,” Stauffer said while fielding texts from listeners. “I think Nashville, they’re playing really well right now; they’re trying to win. We’ll see what happens with Nashville; they could be an interesting team to watch.

“I’m not quite sure how anybody can make that work, for what it’s worth. Real good player; not sure how it works.”

Stauffer also mentioned that Josi shares an agent with Connor McDavid, as both are represented by Judd Moldaver with Wasserman.

Will Nashville actually trade Josi?

There have been a few big names that have entered the trade market this season, but it’s still not clear if Josi is one of those players.

Unlike Nikita Kucherov, there is no public trade request at play with Josi as of now, and the speculation is coming from Nashville possibly moving on. That, however, is far from concrete evidence and will likely be determined by how the Predators fare over the next few months.

Nashville currently holds a record of 8-4-5 and is currently occupying the top wildcard spot in the Western Conference. It seems like GM Chris MacFarland is intent on competing for a playoff spot, and if that stays, it’s very possible that the team opts to hold onto Josi and take their chances with free agency looming. After all, he’s been with the Predators for 16 seasons and has been captain since 2017.

However, if things turn sideways, it could be in Nashville’s best interest to grab some asset from Josi before he potentially leaves in free agency. The Swiss defender could also look to join a contending team, as the 36-year-old is still chasing his first Stanley Cup.

There are a lot of factors at play, but it is entirely realistic that Josi could find himself getting dealt ahead of the NHL trade deadline on March 1.

Are the Oilers a fit?

Edmonton’s defensive group has been fairly solid to start the season, but there is room for improvement.

The top pair of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard has been lights out, while Ryan Shea has proven to be a solid addition, and Ty Emberson has impressed in a depth role.

There have been some question marks surrounding players like Jake Walman, Connor Murphy, and Shakir Mukhamadullin. Walman has had trouble even getting into the lineup lately, while the on-ice results haven’t been kind to either Murphy or Mukhamadullin. Adding Josi into the mix could provide a necessary shakeup.

Imagine if the Oilers did find a way to acquire Josi, while also offloading Walman in the process, which could create a blueline that looks something like this:

Shea – Bouchard
Josi – Ekholm
Mukhamadullin-Murphy

Moving Ekholm to the right side wouldn’t be an unprecedented move, and the two have some experience playing together on a pair from their time in Nashville. It would also allow Shea to grow into a top-pair role with Bouchard and give the Oilers one of the deadliest top-fours in the entire NHL.

Doing so would also push Murphy down the lineup, giving him fewer minutes and more favourable matchups, thus increasing his chances of succeeding.

What would the trade look like?

The issue with any big blockbuster trade involving the Oilers is the assets involved.

Edmonton doesn’t have a treasure trove of desirable assets they can throw at a potential rental player. The prospect cupboards are barren, and there aren’t a lot of obvious trade candidates on the roster with enough value to warrant a big return.

A Josi trade would have to come down to players like Isaac Howard or Matt Savoie being involved, while packaging them with a cocktail of high draft picks and supplementary prospects like Damian Carfagna, Quinn Hutson, or even a player like Connor Clattenburg.

Edmonton would also need to include Jake Walman in a deal to clear salary, either with Nashville or somewhere else. That won’t be an easy cap dump, as he is in the first season of a seven-year deal with a $7-million cap hit.

Stauffer was right when he said it was hard to imagine how Edmonton and Nashville could figure out a trade like this. There are a lot of moving parts, but maybe Bowman and MacFarland can come together to iron out the details later this season.

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