The 2025–26 Edmonton Oilers are beginning to converge on the city of Edmonton for captain’s skates and training camp. But there are still a few small tweaks that are likely to be made if not now, then throughout the season.

Some players have been alluded to in trades all offseason. Some just appear to be the most expendable on the roster. And others would be shipped off for upgrades through the season.

At this point, most of the roster is fairly set. The positions are all fleshed out. The depth has been improved. And it is just the same roster holes the Oilers have dealt with for seasons that are left unaddressed.

But regardless, for a team in the middle of it’s Stanley Cup winning window, there will always be more depth or small tweaks to make.

How will the Oilers make any of these improvements? Here are some players on the roster that could be deemed expendable for these purposes. If not for value then for freeing up the necessary cap space to make said improvements. As it stands with a full roster, general manager Stan Bowman has just shy of $226K in cap space to work with. Not quite enough to make a meaningful move.

When it does come time to tweak the roster for (hopefully) another deep playoff run, here are five additions to the Edmonton Oilers’ trade bait board heading into the 2025–26 season.

Adam Henrique

Let’s start this off clarifying that yes, Adam Henrique has a no movement clause and cannot be traded without him waiving that clause. But continuing with some of the chatter from earlier this offseason, there is a chance the Oilers ask Henrique if he would be open to a trade.

This would accomplish one main thing as a trade chip. Freeing up cap space. Henrique’s trade value on his own is not overly high right now after he struggled last season with the worst offensive production levels of his career. He had just 12 goals and 27 points in 81 games. He does, however, have a $3M AAV that could be offloaded to make space for a different position.

If Issac Howard and Matthew Savoie both work out in the top-six, there will be a logjam of players in the bottom-six that would likely push Henrique into a fourth line role permanently. The Oilers could use that cap space in much better ways when they could have Curtis Lazar or Noah Philp, both of whom make less than $1M next season, play on the fourth line.

If Henrique were to agree to a trade, it would be a cap dump. The hope is that a team struggling with centre depth would enjoy a cost-controlled, reliable veteran to close out the season.

Beau Akey

Beau Akey had spent years as one of the most valuable prospects in the organization. And despite some developmental difficulties, like missing most of the 2023–24 season due to injury and a bit of a regression in 2024–25 as he worked on different aspects of his game, he remains a top five prospect in the organization. And with that, he is potentially the most valuable prospect in the organization that could be available for trade.

Akey is expected to turn pro this season and projects to be playing with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. This will be the chance to see what he is capable of and if the Oilers can place him into the lineup in the near future.

But, given the status of the team’s competitive window, anything is on the table if it means making a move to improve the team. Akey’s name will continue to be included in trade talks as a young, mobile, right-shot defender is always highly coveted around the league and could fetch a solid return in a trade package.

Brett Kulak

The upcoming offseason is going to be a tricky one for the Oilers to navigate, depending on how much the salary cap increases. Connor McDavid, Jake Walman, Mattias Ekholm, both goalies, and of course, Brett Kulak are all pending UFAs and will need new contracts. With the raises that some of these players are due, there is a chance that someone will have to be moved for a cheaper option. The prime candidate for this is, unfortunately, Kulak.

Over the past few seasons, Kulak has been one of the most reliable, steady, and consistent performers for the Oilers. Additionally, he has never missed a game since being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens at the 2022 Trade Deadline.

Kulak is currently making $2.75M on his current deal. He has spent most of his time bouncing between the second and third pairings, with a very solid stint on the second pair with Darnell Nurse last season. Heading into his contract year, Kulak just set career highs of seven goals, 18 assists, and 25 points.

Needless to say, he is due for a raise that could see his AAV jump by a few million dollars. A few million the Oilers may not be able to afford.

It would be a massive loss to the defensive core if they were to part ways with Kulak. But he is also one of the most valuable NHL-ready trade chips on this roster if the need arises.

Mattias Janmark

For a team looking for some speed, two-way play, and penalty killing prowess, there may be a small market for Mattias Janmark. This may prove useful later in the season, if some of the young players and free agent signings work out. He may find himself played out of the lineup in this scenario.

Janmark had just two goals in the regular season, one of which was an empty-netter and the other was a deflection. Meaning he went the entire season without scoring a goal on a goalie by shooting the puck. I’m not doing a great job of selling the player on his value here, but needless to say, there is a very real chance that players like David Tomasek, Quinn Hutson, or Roby Jarventie could play their way out of the AHL and replace Janmark in the lineup.

If he is traded, he would be a throw-in piece in a bigger return package, mostly just clearing space and reallocating some cap space. But again, if a team needs his defensive play and penalty killing, there could be a market for him.

2027 first-round pick

First round picks are passed around like candy for contending teams, and the Oilers have been, and will continue to be, no different. The team has now traded away four consecutive first-round picks, though one of them was a future first traded to acquire a current first. That trend is expected to continue.

This pick may be the most valuable trade chip the organization has right now, and it will likely be used by the deadline to acquire an upgrade. Any major trade package the team puts together will be centred around this pick and a prospect, as has been the case over the past few seasons. What the Oilers decide to do with this pick is one of the most important decisions of the season.

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