The Edmonton Oilers are one of the best teams in the NHL at this time. With the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline one week away, time is running out for this team to make its final moves of the season. Time is of the essence, and considering the Oilers' position, they have a lot of moving parts to consider.
Edmonton has very little in the way of salary cap space. In fact, they only have $10K in available space, according to PuckPedia. This is by far the lowest amount of cap space to work with in the entire NHL.
If the Oilers are going to make moves, they need to move money out. According to a recent report, they may have an avenue to do this. The Oilers are interested in defensemen Justin Faulk and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. However, they will need to move a veteran winger first.
“Two names to watch as Oilers search for help on the blue line: Blues' Justin Faulk and Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Neither possible without first moving (Andrew) Mangiapane,” NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported recently.
Mangiapane joined the Oilers this summer, but has struggled in his role with Edmonton. He entered the NHL's Olympic break with six goals and 12 points. He added to this total with a goal and an assist on Thursday in an 8-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
The Oilers are trying to shore up their defense for the playoff run to come. Edmonton is looking to avenge two consecutive losses in the Stanley Cup Final. It will be interesting to see how they approach the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline as a result.
