The Edmonton Oilers are without Connor McDavid for the next few games. However, the Oilers are one of the best teams in the NHL at this time. And while they certainly want McDavid in their lineup, they can make do without him for now. When he returns, it's back to business as usual.
This season, business as usual has been somewhat up and down. The Oilers began the season on the wrong foot and had some offensive struggles in the early going. But they eventually found their stride and firmly placed themselves within playoff contention in the Western Conference. At this time, Edmonton owns a record of 29-15-3, placing them one point back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the Pacific Division lead.
The Oilers recently made a move for John Klingberg in NHL Free Agency. Klingberg was once one of the better offensive defensemen in the NHL. However, his career has not gone as planned after his departure from the Dallas Stars. Unsuccessful stints with the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and Toronto Maple Leafs have left the veteran looking to prove he still has it.
Despite signing Klingberg, Edmonton is reportedly still seeking defensive depth. It makes sense, as well. The Oilers sought a defenseman before landing Klingberg on the open market. There is uncertainty about how Klingberg will perform after signing. Adding a defender for depth purposes makes sense as a result.
Klingberg does not change Edmonton's needs, but it changes how they'll approach the trade market. There are a fair few depth defensemen available to be had for general manager Stan Bowman. However, there is one depth defensive option that would bring significant playoff experience to the 2024 Western Conference champions.
Oilers should trade for Ducks' Brian Dumoulin

The Anaheim Ducks traded for Brian Dumoulin during the offseason in 2024. Dumoulin informed the Seattle Kraken he desired a trade away after one season in the Pacific Northwest. He mentioned wanting a trade East, but he has embraced the Ducks following the deal. So far, he has played well enough in Anaheim.
Dumoulin is not a reliable offensive option at this point in his career. In fact, he hasn't scored a goal in 47 games for the Ducks to this point in the season. Still, he plays solid defense and has earned the trust of Anaheim's coaching staff. He plays nearly 20 minutes a night, a nearly three-minute jump from the ice time he received in Seattle. This has made Dumoulin a prime Ducks trade candidate.
The Oilers could certainly use a more defensive defender. Dumoulin can kill penalties and he is certainly not afraid to block shots if he needs to. While he blocked less than 100 last year, he is on pace to block 131 shots this season, which is more than his career average for a single season.
Dumoulin also brings positional versatility to the ice. He is a left-shot defenseman, making him a natural fit on the left side. However, he can play on the right side if needed. This allows head coach Kris Knoblauch to change up the defensive pairings if the situation calls for it.
The veteran defenseman also brings a ton of postseason experience. Dumoulin has played 81 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs throughout his career. Nearly 50 of these games took place between 2016 and 2017. Dumoulin won back-to-back Stanley Cups in those years with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Oilers should have no issue taking Dumoulin's $3.150 million cap hit for the 2024-25 season. And it's hard to imagine the Ducks asking for an arm and a leg for the pending unrestricted free agent defenseman. He certainly works as a valuable depth option for Edmonton to pursue leading into the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7th.