After back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final, the Edmonton Oilers are in the playoff mix again and remain one of the NHL’s top-tier teams, although their offensive depth has become a growing concern.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid has been his usual great self and is tied for the most points in the NHL with 85 points in 52 games, but several recent mid-line additions have underperformed after arriving in Edmonton.
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Andrew Mangiapane and rookie Isaac Howard have combined for just 17 points. Trent Frederic, meanwhile, has three points in 49 games.
The offensive imbalance, with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl the only Oilers with 50-plus points, is starting to put pressure on general manager Stan Bowman ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) at Bridgestone Arena.Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
(Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)
Pierre LeBrun reported in The Athletic that Edmonton recently held its pro scouting meetings and finalized a list of top-nine forwards to target via trade.
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“The Edmonton Oilers held their pro scouting meetings last week and came away with a list of top nine forwards they intend to target,” LeBrun wrote. “Some of those seeds have already been planted by Oilers GM Stan Bowman in conversations with teams around the league
“But the sense right now is that most of Edmonton’s talks with teams are preliminary and nothing is imminent.”
The timing may hinge on the Olympic break starting on Feb. 4, with LeBrun expecting the Oilers to start making moves only after players return from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
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“The sense right now is that most of Edmonton’s talks with teams are preliminary and nothing is imminent. A big part of that is that there are so few sellers because of the parity in the standings.” LeBrun wrote. “Most likely, an Oilers trade will come after the Olympics.”
On TSN’s “Insider Trading,” LeBrun elaborated on the internal debate shaping the club’s approach to the trade market.
“Where it gets interesting is, do they end up trading for a centre, or a winger?” LeBrun said. “The internal debate involves asking, is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins better at centre for the Oilers, or on the wing? Guess what, there is no bad answer.”
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LeBrun wrapped up his report by acknowledging that Nugent-Hopkins’ versatility provides flexibility, but the winger market may dictate the outcome.
“The bottom line is this,” LeBrun said. “There are more wingers that are going to be available on the market than there are going to be centres. So that might be a self-fulfilling prophecy where perhaps the Oilers go out and trade for a winger.”
The Oilers barely have $270,000 of current cap space, meaning they’ll need to move nearly as much salary as they obtain in any potential trade.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.