1 trade Oilers must make before NHL Olympic break

The Edmonton Oilers are trying to make a run to a third straight Stanley Cup Final. Connor McDavid has reaffirmed his commitment to the Oilers and his desire to bring a Cup to Alberta. As the team looks to make that a reality, they still need to make a move before the Olympic break, and there is one perfect trade to be made.

The Oilers are one of the best offensive units in the NHL. They are third in the league in goals per game while also sitting first in powerplay conversion. They have scored 193 goals so far this year, but they do not have a lot of scoring depth. McDavid leads the way, finding the back of the net 34 times so far, playing from the top line. His linemate, Zach Hyman, is third on the team with 22 goals, while playing in just 37 games so far. Meanwhile, Leon Draisaitl has lit the lamp 27 times, currently playing on the second line.

The three of them have combined for 83 goals, which is 43 percent of the team’s total. Meanwhile, 29 of their goals have come on the powerplay this season. The top-scoring forward not on one of the top two lines is Jack Roslovic, who has 15 goals. He is followed by Matthew Savoie, who has just nine goals. While the top-end scoring options for the Oilers are elite, they need scoring depth to make a run in the playoffs. If one of the top three hit a cold streak at the wrong time, they could find their season ending prematurely.

Moreover, if the Oilers go after a forward, they need one who can be a two-way impact player. The Oilers are 24th in the NHL in opponent goals per game this year. The team has already tried to address goaltending, trading for Tristan Jarry, and waiving Calvin Pickard in favor of Connor Ingram. With not many solid options on the trade market for goaltending, the team needs to focus on finding a player who can help the defense as a whole.

The front office does not have a ton of draft capital or cap space to work with, but if they want to see the Stanley Cup return to Canada for the first time since 1993, they need to make this move.

Jake DeBrusk would be a perfect fit for Oilers

Jake DeBrusk would be the perfect fit for the Oilers. The Vancouver Canucks have committed to a rebuild, and moving a player like DeBrusk will bring in prospects and draft capital, while also shedding salary. DeBrusk is under contract through 2030-31, for $5.5 million in AAV. He does have a no-movement clause currently, but the chance to move from one of the worst teams in the conference to one of the best will likely be appealing enough for the player to waive his no-movement clause.

DeBrusk would add another scoring threat to the middle-six. He could either pair with Leon Draisaitl on the second line or add to the third line alongside Roslovic. He has found the back of the net 13 times and added 15 helpers this season. This is all while playing on an offense that is 30th in the NHL in goals per game. Meanwhile, he has amassed 40 or more points in four straight seasons and is on pace for that again this year. He also has been solid on the powerplay in the last two seasons, and while the Oilers do not need help on the man advantage, it would add depth to the unit.

DeBrusk would also provide a solid two-way impact. He is a physical player with solid defensive acumen. He has an expected goals per 60 minutes of ice time of just 2.81 goals in 5v5 situations. That rate is better than many of the Oilers’ top players, including McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. That rate would place DeBrusk fourth among forwards with at least 30 games of play this season on the Oilers. He is doing all of this with poor goaltending and a defense that ranks last in the NHL in 2025-26.

Overall, the former first-round pick of the Boston Bruins would fill multiple holes for the Oilers. He can play on the wing on just about any line for the team, giving scoring depth that the team is currently missing. The winger adds a major boost to the defensive side of the ice as well, could contribute on the penalty kill, and would help maintain a quality powerplay. He is going to be expensive in any trade, especially with a divisional rival, but if the Oilers can figure out how to make it work, they will be a much-improved team for it.

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