The Edmonton Oilers have played well to start the season, snapping out of a slow start and improving their record to 6-5-1 through their first 12 games. While they have been without captain Connor McDavid for two games and are expected to miss him for another couple of weeks, they have played well in his absence and have continued to improve. While McDavid continues to rehab his leg injury, forward Evander Kane also continues to rehab multiple injuries he suffered during last season’s playoff run and could be aiming for a return as early as January 2025. If Kane does come back soon, the Oilers may be forced to part with a forward to afford Kane’s cap hit, and an Oilers insider recently mentioned two names as potential trade candidates.
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Oilers Insider Bob Stauffer recently hinted at a surprise trade on the Oilers Now show, stating “I think it’s inevitable the Oilers trade for a right-hand shooting defenseman….it will be picks, for the most part, that get used.” However, Stauffer added that upon Kane’s return, it may force someone on the left wing out, with Jeff Skinner and Mattias Janmark mentioned as potential trade candidates. Janmark is on a three-year deal with an average annual value (AAV) of $1.45 million, while Skinner is on a one-year deal worth $3 million. Skinner has six points, while Janmark has three points, both through 12 games this season.
While this would come as a surprise for either of them to be moved, it would be smarter to try and trade one of them rather than risk putting them on waivers and losing them for nothing. Skinner has played well enough for a contending team to justify paying for him, but it wouldn’t make sense for the Oilers to move him just yet. Out of the two, the more likely candidate to be moved seems to be Janmark, who has been underwhelming offensively to start the campaign, but his strength on the penalty kill is what makes him an attractive asset, especially in the postseason.
Contending Teams Could Inquire Once Kane Becomes Healthy
Both Skinner and Janmark could be valuable assets to a contending team if the Oilers decide to move them. The Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, and Calgary Flames are just a handful of potential suitors who could all inquire into their availability if they’re in a playoff spot heading into the new year. The Oilers’ tight cap situation makes it a strong possibility that they try to free up money before Kane comes back so they can continue to accrue cap space for the 2025 Trade Deadline, and those two could bring back the most draft capital for teams looking to bolster their forward depth for a playoff run.
Assuming Stauffer’s theory is correct that the Oilers are preparing to acquire a right-shot defender, they could try and wait it out and either use the picks from a Skinner/Janmark deal to acquire an upgrade defensively, or they could package one of those forwards into a deal with picks for a higher end defender. The ideal pickup on the blue line this season would be either Dante Fabbro from the Nashville Predators or Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, but time will tell if the team decides to look for a depth defender or a top-four addition.
The Oilers seem to be playing well enough to justify being buyers at the upcoming deadline, especially if they can continue playing strongly and build momentum for when McDavid returns. If they decide to make a move for a defender, they could try and package one of Skinner or Janmark into the trade rather than dumping them and making two separate transactions. While it would be nice to keep both of them, they have a defensive depth issue that must be solved if they want to make another deep postseason run.
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