After a shaky start to the 2024-25 season, the Edmonton Oilers appear to be back on track. Though they suffered a loss on Monday night versus the Columbus Blue Jackets, it came in the second half of a back-to-back. After a 0-3-0 start, they now sit at a much more respectable 4-5-1 through their first 10 contests. They may not be out of the weeds just yet, but the panic level has lowered tremendously.
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While the Oilers should continue to be a great regular-season team the rest of the way, there are concerns that maybe the roster is not built for a Stanley Cup run. There are no issues up front, but the blue line, particularly the right side, is lacking. Most expect management to make an upgrade via trade at some point, and here are six players they should target.
Timothy Liljegren
The Oilers might already be asking about Timothy Liljegren. The relationship between the 2017 first-round pick and the Toronto Maple Leafs has been souring, and the fact that he’s suited up for just one game this season surely hasn’t helped matters.
Lilejgren’s fall from grace from a season ago is surprising since he was logging top-four minutes under former head coach Sheldon Keefe. His play might be inconsistent at times, but the underlying numbers suggest that he could still be a very valuable player. With a cap hit of $3 million for this season and next, he isn’t the worst the Oilers could do, especially considering that it may only take a second-round pick to acquire him.
Cody Ceci
Would the Oilers make a move for Cody Ceci after they just dealt him away? Many are talking about it, and it makes plenty of sense. Not only is Ceci in the final year of a three-year deal, but he knows the Oilers’ system and has proven capable of logging big minutes for them.
Perhaps the biggest reason this could happen is that the players on the roster love Ceci. This has been noted by several insiders, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Adding him back at or ahead of the trade deadline, perhaps for as little as a mid-round pick, could be a huge morale boost to the Oilers’ dressing room.
David Savard
The Oilers were said to be after defenceman David Savard a season ago. The stay-at-home veteran ended up sticking with the Montreal Canadiens but figures to be on the move this season, given that he’s in the final year of his contract.
Savard is very limited offensively, but his strong defensive play makes him an everyday top-four defenceman. With blueliners like Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm, the Oilers don’t need any more offence from the back end, making Savard a solid fit. The issue could be the price, as there were rumours last year that he could fetch a first-round pick. That’s too much, though perhaps now that he’s on an expiring deal, a second is enough to get the job done.
Jeff Petry
If the Oilers don’t try to bring back Ceci, perhaps they’ll consider another former Oiler, Jeff Petry. The Detroit Red Wings could be in a selling position depending on how their season plays out up to the trade deadline, and if they decide to move out players, Petry will almost certainly be one of them.
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Petry is no longer the defenceman he was in his prime years but can still play an everyday role thanks to his strong skating. He also carries a cap hit of just $2.3 million, making him a very affordable option. Even at this stage of his career, he remains an upgrade over players like Troy Stecher and Travis Dermott. Like Ceci, he wouldn’t cost much more than a mid-round pick.
Connor Murphy
Connor Murphy is another stay-at-home defender who would fit well on the Oilers’ back end. The Chicago Blackhawks rearguard is underrated as far as defencemen go, one who can shut down the opposition’s top stars while dishing out punishing hits.
The one issue with Murphy is that he has an additional season remaining on his contract with a $4.4 million cap hit. That would be hard for the Oilers to fit in, but if the Blackhawks were willing to retain salary, this is an option general manager Stan Bowman would likely be interested in. The issue would be the price, as there’s no real reason for the Blackhawks to move him unless they get an offer they really like.
Rasmus Andersson
Another blueliner with one additional season remaining on his contract is Rasmus Andersson. The Calgary Flames defenceman is undoubtedly the best of the bunch on this list, and, for what he brings, is on a bargain deal that carries a $4.55 million cap hit.
Granted, this deal is a stretch. The Flames likely don’t want to help the Oilers out, and they may not want to move Andersson at all, given their great start to the season. That said, if they begin to slide down the standings, everything will be on the table, and if the Oilers can put together the best offer for Andersson, perhaps the two bitter rivals can pull off a blockbuster of sorts. That best offer, however, would be a first-round pick and a top prospect, perhaps Matt Savoie, at minimum.
The Sooner for the Oilers, the Better
Some will suggest adding a blueliner isn’t a rush, given that the trade deadline is months away. That is true. But getting a player acclimated to a new team sooner rather than later has its benefits. Not only will he learn the new systems well ahead of the playoffs, but he also has time to acclimate to the locker room and city. It’s clear the Oilers need an upgrade on the right side of their back end, and they would be better off making a move now.
