For the Edmonton Oilers and the team’s fans, nothing hurts more than a Connor McDavid injury.
The latest event happened on Monday night in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. Edmonton’s captain being out of the lineup for any length of time is serious business and could mean an earlier-than-expected trade for reinforcements.
Replacing McDavid is impossible, but in his absence, the club can shore up other areas (like defence) via trade.
What’s available? I looked at five possible right-handed defensive solutions recently, and the team should be able to find suitable centres or wingers if that becomes the need.
The bigger question: What assets can general manager Stan Bowman credibly shop to other teams in trade? That’s a very good question.
Changing times
A year ago, I listed six possible trade assets heading into the 2024 deadline. These months later, four of those (the 2024 first-round pick, Philip Broberg, Xavier Bourgault, Raphael Lavoie) assets were either dealt away or lost to an offer sheet/waivers.
Here are the top assets available for Bowman to trade between now and the trade deadline.
1. Matt Savoie
Young winger Matt Savoie was acquired over the summer from the Buffalo Sabres in the deal that sent Ryan McLeod away.
The organization probably doesn’t want to deal with him, and it’s a good bet the return would have to be substantial in order to pry him away from the Oilers.
Savoie is 20, playing well in the AHL (1-3-4 in six games with the Bakersfield Condors) and is a real top-end prospect close to being NHL-ready. That makes him unique among Edmonton’s prospect pool. He can be a productive scoring winger in the NHL during the back half of the 2020s and spend most of those seasons on a value contract.
Savoie may be the ask on trades Bowman turns down on merit. In the Oilers prospect pool, he’s a unicorn.
2. 2026 first-round selection
Edmonton traded the 2025 first-round selection at the 2024 draft, acquiring the No. 32 selection and picking up centre Sam O’Reilly.
The draft pick has some protection (top-12 protected for Edmonton, unless the team trades the 2026 first-round pick). Even with the injury to McDavid, the Oilers landing a top-12 pick would seem to be a distant bell. Fans should consider the 2025 first-rounder long gone.
The 2026 first-round pick probably has less value than this year’s selection and that would be a factor in dealing it. NHL teams will be focused on the 2025 draft at the deadline, so the 2026 first may have the most value among the team’s draft picks.
3. Cap space
The Oilers had accrued significant cap space through the first 10 games of the NHL season. PuckPedia had the total at $1.28 million, a total that would have allowed the team to bring on a $5 million dollar deadline addition if the dollars continued to accrue at current rates.
The injury to McDavid and subsequent recall of two players (Noah Philp and Drake Caggiula) will place the team in LTIR for a time.
Management probably pulls out of LTIR at some point, after the coaching staff finds 12 players who can deliver consistent quality.
Expect Bowman to have enough room at the deadline to bring on a big contract. Cap space has real value, especially closer to the deadline. If a team has a chance to offload a veteran defenceman making $4-plus million, and that player has another year on his deal, Edmonton could acquire a useful piece for very few additional assets.
4. Beau Akey
The Oilers drafted Akey in the second round of the 2023 draft, when Ken Holland was general manager and Tyler Wright was the amateur scouting director.
Akey’s connection to current management is not as strong as a player like O’Reilly, who was brought in under the current administration.
The Oilers can afford to deal Akey because his skill set is duplicated (and more) by Evan Bouchard, a player who is going to be a big part of the organization over the rest of the decade.
Akey lost most of last season to injury, and had a slow start to his OHL season in 2024-25, but is scoring now (2-3-5 in nine games) and will turn pro next season.
He would have appeal for other NHL teams because Akey will graduate to pro next fall.
5. Sam O’Reilly
As is the case with Savoie, trading O’Reilly would be a difficult transaction for current management. The organization liked him enough to trade a future first-round selection, and that’s a ringing endorsement from the people who matter in hockey ops.
O’Reilly showed well at Oilers camp and Edmonton signed him to his entry-level deal in mid-October. He is posting offence (4-4-8 in 10 games with the OHL London Knights) so far in his junior season.
O’Reilly has a complete range of skills, so he can make the NHL as a second- or third-line centre if the offence pops once he hits pro.
Oilers scouting director of amateur scouting Rick Pracey and his staff must have lobbied hard for O’Reilly before the draft, it’s difficult to imagine that group being less enthused now.
That said, O’Reilly is an attractive trade target for other NHL teams.
Other options
Ty Emberson was just acquired and the Oilers would be wise to give him an entire season to show what he can deliver as an NHL player. If an opposition team has a perfect fit solution, and Emberson is the ask, Bowman probably surrenders a solid young defender in an effort to improve in the short term.
Paul Fischer is an impressive college defenceman picked up from the St. Louis Blues in the trade that completed the offer sheets for Broberg and Dylan Holloway. The Oilers value him, and the scouting reports are encouraging. If he makes the NHL, it’s probably as a second- or third-pairing option and a player who keeps opponents honest.
Maxim Denezhkin is a Russian power forward who is taking another step offensively this season. He has posted 6-11-17 in 20 games this season, a significant nudge forward from his previous best (30 points in 62 games).
Bowman has had success in the past in wooing Russian players to North America and Denezhkin looks like an NHL player from here. If another organization is willing to surrender a player who can help right away for a possible future, that deal probably comes together quickly.
(Photo of Matt Savoie: Leila Devlin / Getty Images)
