The Oilers Will Need to Act Quickly

The Edmonton Oilers are going to be faced with some tough decisions soon. Goaltender Tristan Jarry and defenseman Jake Walman will both be returning from their respective injuries soon.

Jarry’s return means one of Calvin Pickard or Connor Ingram will need to clear waivers to be sent down to the American Hockey League. With numerous teams around the league looking for goaltending depth, there’s a real chance either will get claimed. If that happens, then Edmonton will face its own goaltending depth problem.

Defenseman Alec Regula would also need to be sent down to make room for Walman’s return. Regula is another player who will need to pass through waivers to be sent down. He has a better shot of clearing than Pickard or Ingram. Regula has three points in 25 games for the Oilers this season and is a minus-13. The one upside he does offer for any teams interested is size, as he is 6’4, 211 pounds.

The worst-case scenario for Stan Bowman is losing two players for nothing on waivers. However, Bowman could try to make a trade work before Walman or Jarry return. One player the Oilers could move is Andrew Mangiapane. He is not supplying the Oilers with the secondary scoring they thought he would provide.

Oilers Could Entertain Trading Mangiapane

One player that Edmonton could target is Jared McCann from the Seattle Kraken. He is off to a slow start, but could use a change of scenery. Now, it’s unclear as to how much the Oilers would need to part with to acquire McCann. They could start with something like Mangiapane, Ingram, and their 2027 first-round pick to see if that gets the ball rolling. However, the Oilers would likely need the Kraken to retain as much as 50% of McCann’s salary, so that will drive up the price.

The Oilers may be forced to include a prospect such as Ike Howard or Quinn Hutson. Both have bright futures, but if Edmonton is in win-now mode, which they should be, then one of those bright stars of the future will need to be sacrificed to try and make it happen.