The Edmonton Oilers are coming out of the holiday break confident, having found themselves competing for the top of the Pacific Division and seemingly in position to ride their way into a playoff spot as the rest of the season moves along. They don’t seem to have any glaring holes after adding Tristan Jarry and bringing in an upgrade on the blue line in Spencer Stastney, so their attention could turn to filling out their depth at the 2026 Trade Deadline.
Related: Oilers’ Spencer Stastney Is an Upgrade on Brett Kulak
There has been some speculation recently that the Oilers could look to add a third-line centre, and fans have begun to wonder what that could look like. In this article, we take a look at what a potential blockbuster deal could look like between the Oilers and Seattle Kraken involving Jared McCann.
McCann, who is 29 years old, has scored five goals and added three assists for eight points through 11 games this season. He is currently dealing with an injury, but is expected to return soon. Throughout his career, he has scored 189 goals and added 217 assists for 406 points through 679 games, which comes out to a 0.60 points-per-game average.
It is important to keep a couple of things in mind with a trade like this. McCann has a 10-team no-trade list and a $5 million cap hit. For any deal to work, McCann would have to be open to joining the Oilers, and the Oilers would have to find a way to make the money work. The only way to make that work would be for the Kraken to be willing to retain 50% of his contract, which expires at the end of next season, which could be a tough sell.
Let’s assume all of those things get worked out. How would a trade work?
Oilers Land McCann, Kraken Lands Massive Return
McCann would fit nicely on the Oilers’ third line moving forward. Alongside Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Savoie, that new line could be one of the best third lines in the NHL. McCann’s two-way play, combined with Savoie’s two-way play and Mangiapane’s willingness to shoot the puck, could elevate everyone on the line and create a strong top-nine forward group for the Oilers.
The Kraken would have to be convinced to retain half of McCann’s salary, and the Oilers would still have to find a way to clear up $2.5 million. There have been some reports that David Tomasek is headed back to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), which would clear up some money, but the Oilers would still have to move out Mattias Janmark, and could be forced to part with Kasperi Kapanen, in separate deals.
The Oilers have Adam Henrique, Curtis Lazar, Trent Frederic, and then one of Max Jones, Noah Philp, or Connor Clattenburg to fill out their fourth line, meaning they can afford to part with both Kapanen and Janmark, but then, they have to actually put together a solid trade package for McCann.
Realistically, a trade looks like the Oilers acquiring McCann at 50% retained in exchange for Beau Akey, Max Berezkin, their 2027 first-round pick, and a future second-round pick.
It’s a huge deal, but it gives the Oilers the depth forward they need, and it immediately makes them the favourite to win the Stanley Cup heading into the postseason. With strong goaltending, great defensive depth, and one of the strongest forward cores in the league, this deal puts the Oilers on a trajectory to win their first championship since 1990.
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