The Edmonton Oilers are well past their early-season funk, now in full stride, looking like a legitimate threat to reach a third consecutive Stanley Cup Final. That has everything to do with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl somehow playing as well as we’ve ever seen; so it’s incumbent on general manager Stan Bowman to continue to help his two superstars by pushing his chips in ahead of the trade deadline.
Upgrading in goal by acquiring Tristan Jarry — injury aside — checked one box, but now it’s time to address other areas of the roster. Several names across different positions have recently been linked to the Oilers, with the latest among them now being Kraken forward Jared McCann.
Seattle’s strong start has faded in a big way, which could force the club into selling in the coming months. As a result, Jesse Courville-Lynch of The Hockey Writers has proposed an enormous, but purely speculative deal that would send McCann to Edmonton for a package of four assets.
“Realistically, a trade looks like the Oilers acquiring McCann at 50% retained in exchange for Beau Akey, Max Berezkin, their 2027 first-round pick, and a future second-round pick.”
McCann is in the fourth season of the five-year, $25.5M extension he signed with the Kraken back in 2025. The 29-year-old has been limited to just 11 games so far in 2025-26, though has been productive when available with eight points (five goals, three assists) in that time.
Is Jared McCann worth the cost for the Oilers?
A top-six forward has long been viewed as a need for Edmonton, and McCann would fit that to a tee; however, that need may not be as pressing as it once was.