The Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres are in two different categories right now. The Oilers are hoping to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final and win their first Stanley Cup since 1990 after coming up just short last season, while the Sabres are in the middle of a rebuild as they look to continue building for their future.
The Oilers currently sit 4th in the Pacific Division with a 13-9-2 record through 24 games with 28 points while the Sabres sit 5th in the Atlantic Division with an 11-11-2 record with 24 points through 24 games. While they’re only separated by four points, the Sabres’ struggles have been much more evident and have caused fans to already begin wondering if the team will start selling soon, while the Oilers’ early season struggles seem to be behind them as they try to climb up the standings.
Related: Oilers’ Kasperi Kapanen Having Strong Start With New Team
In a recent video posted by Oilers Nation with insider Jeff Marek, it was stated by Marek that he believes the Oilers and Sabres would be strong trade partners. On top of mentioning that, he proceeded to name Owen Power, Bowen Byram, Jack Quinn, and Dylan Cozens as players who could be potential trade candidates. Realistically, the Oilers targeting Power seems impossible considering he is one of their best all-around players. Byram, Quinn, and Cozens on the other hand could be realistic targets considering their team could opt to sell at the 2025 Trade Deadline, so let’s take a look at the potential fits.
Byram Could Add Needed Depth, Cozens Could Add Scoring Depth
The Oilers could benefit from adding a defender to bolster the depth on their blueline, and Byram could be a strong addition. He is a 23-year-old left-shot defender from Cranbrook, British Columbia who was drafted 4th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He was traded to the Sabres in the 2023-24 season and has 23 points through 42 games since the trade. He has been a strong member of their blue line with strong two-way play since the trade and has shown signs of having a higher ceiling in the right situation.
With the Oilers eyeing another deep playoff run, Byram could be a replacement for Philip Broberg, who the team lost because of an offer sheet to the St. Louis Blues. On top of that, fans have begun to worry about their defensive depth in terms of a possible playoff run, so adding another defender to bolster the blue line would be ideal. Fitting in his $3.85 million cap hit could be tough, bit it would be worth trying to make it work.
Cozens is a forward who has gotten off to a rough start offensively. He is a 23-year-old right-shot forward from Whitehorse, Yukon who was drafted 7th overall by the Sabres in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. Through 304 games with the Sabres in his NHL career, he has scored 71 goals and added 105 assists for 176 points which comes out to a 0.58 points-per-game average. His two-way play could be a welcomed addition to the Oilers’ bottom six and he could benefit from a fresh start, after notching just ten points through the team’s first 24 games.
Quinn is a forward who has struggled immensely both offensively and defensively. He has just one goal and four assists for five points through 23 games while struggling to play a sound defensive game in his own end. While he had shown signs of being a star player offensively, he has had a terrible start to his 2024-25 campaign and could benefit from a change of scenery, but the Oilers should avoid him at all costs. They already struggle to find defensive consistency, they don’t need to bring in another player who hasn’t been strong at either end.
The Oilers and Sabres making a blockbuster trade seems unlikely, but they may take a look at the price of bringing in those players Marek mentioned as potentially available. With the 2025 Trade Deadline still several months away, I don’t think anything massive is going to come anytime soon, but it wouldn’t hurt to see what’s available if it meant they could improve their depth. Cozens and Byram could be great acquisitions, Power isn’t being traded, and Quinn is someone they should avoid at all costs.
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