{"id":422691,"date":"2026-01-23T01:28:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T01:28:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/422691\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T01:28:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T01:28:49","slug":"will-the-oilers-trade-for-jamie-oleksiak-the-krakens-massive-price-reveal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/422691\/","title":{"rendered":"Will the Oilers Trade for Jamie Oleksiak? The Kraken\u2019s Massive Price Reveal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Concept<\/a>What would “The Big Rig” look like in Copper and Blue? This concept image envision Seattle Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak in the Edmonton Oilers home uniform amidst ongoing trade speculation.<\/p>\n

The Edmonton Oilers are officially on the hunt for a shutdown defenseman, and a massive solution might be waiting just across the division. According to David Staples of the Edmonton Journal, the Seattle Kraken<\/a> are exploring the trade market for veteran defenseman Jamie Oleksiak<\/a> ahead of the March 6 deadline. Despite the Kraken jockeying for a wildcard spot in the Western Conference, management appears ready to pivot toward younger talent, making pending UFAs like Oleksiak, Jaden Schwartz, and Jordan Eberle available for the right price.<\/p>\n

For Edmonton, this is more than just a rumor\u2014it\u2019s a potential lifeline. The Oilers have long needed a physical presence capable of clearing the net front and killing penalties effectively. Standing 6\u20197\u201d, Oleksiak fits that mold perfectly. However, acquiring an original Kraken member from a division rival won\u2019t come cheap, especially given Edmonton\u2019s cap constraints.<\/p>\n

The Cost of Business: Analyzing the Trade Package<\/p>\n

The primary obstacle in bringing \u201cThe Big Rig\u201d to Alberta is the salary cap. Oleksiak carries a $4.6 million AAV<\/a>, and how Stan Bowman navigates that number will dictate the assets leaving Edmonton.<\/p>\n

Scenario A: Salary Retention (The Likely Route)
If the Oilers want Seattle to retain 50% of Oleksiak\u2019s salary (bringing the hit down to $2.3 million), the cost will be premium. Because Edmonton has already moved their 2026 first-round pick, the conversation starts with a conditional 2027 first-round pick. Seattle would effectively be buying a first-rounder by eating that cap space, a price Bowman might have to pay to keep his current roster intact.<\/p>\n

Scenario B: No Salary Retention
If the Oilers opt to take on the full $4.6 million hit, the draft capital required drops significantly, likely to a 2027 second-round pick or even a third-rounder plus a sweetener. However, this scenario is painful for the roster. To make the money work, Edmonton would almost certainly have to ship out a roster player like Andrew Mangiapane<\/a> to remain compliant.<\/p>\n

Our Insight: Why This Gamble Makes Sense<\/p>\n

From my perspective, this is the move the Oilers have to make. While losing a future first-round pick stings, the Oilers are in \u201cwin-now\u201d mode. Oleksiak brings a unique element that this blueline lacks: pure intimidation and reach. The Kraken are taking a risk by potentially scuttling their own playoff hopes, but their desire to get younger aligns perfectly with Edmonton\u2019s desperation for veteran grit. If I\u2019m Stan Bowman, I am calling Jason Botterill today. You don\u2019t worry about the 2027 draft when you have McDavid and Draisaitl in their prime; you worry about surviving the Western Conference playoffs.<\/p>\n

Get the Latest Oilers News and Join Our Hockey Pool<\/p>\n

Want to stay ahead of every trade rumor this deadline season? Make sure to bookmark nhltraderumor.com<\/a> for breaking updates on the Edmonton Oilers<\/a> and Seattle Kraken. While you\u2019re here, test your GM skills by joining our Fantasy Hockey Pool for cash prizes<\/a>\u2014it\u2019s the best way to compete against fellow fans. You can also find our daily guides on how to watch the Oilers game on TV today<\/a>. Don\u2019t forget to sign up for our newsletter below to get exclusive rumors sent directly to your inbox!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What would “The Big Rig” look like in Copper and Blue? This concept image envision Seattle Kraken defenseman…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422692,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[5,18756,4188,4,24196,2686,234,5318],"class_list":["post-422691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-seattle-kraken","tag-hockey","tag-jamie-oleksiak","tag-kraken","tag-nhl","tag-oiler-rumors","tag-seattle","tag-seattle-kraken","tag-seattlekraken"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115941826738723640","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422691"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422691\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}