The Edmonton Oilers are on top of the hockey world right now. Connor McDavid is in the midst of a generational run at the start of the 2026-27 campaign. He is currently on pace to at least match Wayne Gretzky's record for the fastest player to 50 points in a single season.
Edmonton is having a ton of success as a result. The Oilers are 8-2-2 on the season as we close in on the month of November. Edmonton is currently beating the Calgary Flames, as well. In a reversal of more recent seasons, this team is on a blistering start.
It's hard not to put the Oilers among the favorites for the Stanley Cup, as well. Edmonton can score with the best in the NHL. They are defending when they need to defend. The team's main Achilles' heel, its goaltending, remains an issue. For now, though, things are working out.
Still, goaltending is going to be hard to come by on the trade market. Connor Hellebuyck was traded to the New Jersey Devils recently, taking him off the board. But the Oilers weren't going to get him, anyway. They did not have the assets to match what the Devils paid.
Believe it or not, there is a potentially more concerning trend with the Oilers than their lackluster goaltending. Frederik Andersen is coming back from injury soon. He should be able to help Edmonton's goaltending a bit. However, they cannot fix this other issue internally.
Rickard Rakell trade could fix Oilers' lack of scoring depth
Rickard Rakell has not had the greatest start to the 2026-27 NHL season. However, the veteran winger has a rather reliable track record. You can depend on him to score around 20 goals and 40-50 points.
Edmonton could certainly use that right now. Zach Hyman just went down with an injury. And the Oilers lack significant scoring depth, which could bite them in the butt later this year.
The Oilers have always been a rather top-heavy offensive team in recent seasons. Edmonton's failed runs at the Stanley Cup in 2024 and 2025 came down to this, in fact. Once the Florida Panthers shut down Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, Edmonton had no answer.
Article Continues BelowThis season, it may be even worse. Edmonton currently has four players with more than 10 points. McDavid, Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Vasily Podkolzin have led the way offensively. The problem is that they are almost exclusively the source of this team's offense.
The four aforementioned players combine for 94 points this year. Edmonton's skaters as a whole have tallied 133 points through this point in the season. Those four players account for 71% of their entire team's scoring. This is not the recipe for success.
This also doesn't mention Podkolzin's inclusion here. He has eight goals and 13 points so far this year. He is already about halfway to his goal total in 2025-26. At the same time, he's carrying a 30% shooting percentage. Podkolzin could certainly establish himself as a true top-six threat, but his scoring will fall off. His shooting percentage is not sustainable.
Adding Rakell to the roster would give Edmonton a reliable scorer to pair with McDavid and Draisaitl. He can help pick things up when Podkolzin has some off nights. And he could help the Oilers put up points when none of their fearsome foursome are on the ice. It makes too much sense not to pull this off as soon as Edmonton can.