The Edmonton Oilers have gotten off to a rough start of 1-3-0 and they don’t look like the team that dominated offensively last season…yet. This is bound to change as their puck luck starts turning around and as the team settles into their new system. The Oilers are expected to be buyers at the trade deadline, as much as they can buy with minimal cap space. They aren’t expected to be sellers. Nevertheless, players could struggle or a trade opportunity that involves sending money back could come up. So here are the nine Oilers that won’t be traded in 2023-24 for various reasons.
The Oilers’ Dynamic Duo
I believe that even if the Oilers struggle all season, they are out of the playoffs, and if one or both of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl ask for a trade, it won’t happen until the offseason. There would be far too many moving parts and salary to deal with. It might not look like it at the moment, but they are arguably the two best players in the world and have shown it since entering the NHL.
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It would be devastating and definitely unexpected if the Oilers were forced to trade either of them, but it isn’t happening mid-season. Edmonton would need to ensure that they are getting the best value in return to stay a contender. The absolute only reason the Oilers would trade them is if they desperately wanted out, and both McDavid and Draisaitl have shown commitment to winning in Edmonton.
Connor Brown
It’s not often teams can sign players to the type of deals the Oilers got Connor Brown at this season. He might not be on the scoresheet as an Oiler yet, but he has good underlying numbers and is still working hard. The winger only has a cap hit of $775,000 average annual value (AAV) this season and even though he’s an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in the summer, he does have a cap hit that hurts the Oilers if he plays poorly. Realistically, the Oilers could demote Brown to the American Hockey League (AHL) with no repercussions against the salary cap.
Brown started on the top line, but as the Oilers find their way to start this season, he was moved to the third line where he’s played fairly well too. The only way he’s even a thought of being traded is if he starts to produce and the Oilers are sellers at the trade deadline. The latter is a long hard road away from happening as the Oilers should turn things around sooner rather than later.
Darnell Nurse
Darnell Nurse is seen as the unmovable contract on the Oilers that many fans don’t like. Sure, he’s a bit overpaid for what he brings every game, but he’s locked in at $9.25 million AAV through 2030 with a no-move clause until the end of 2026-27. With the amount he plays, even with Mattias Ekholm in the lineup, I don’t see the Oilers’ number one defenceman even asking for a trade or being willing to waive it.
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One thing the Oilers have been lacking is a proper defence partner for Nurse that can complement him properly as Ekholm did for Evan Bouchard. Yes, Nurse is 28 years old and he should be the driver of his defence pair, but with the amount he plays, he needs the right help, and Cody Ceci isn’t it. The Oilers will do what they can to see Nurse play the best he can, but he plays big minutes and does a lot away from the puck. He isn’t going anywhere for a long time.
Mattias Ekholm
Ekholm is the most reliable defenceman on the Oilers and has been a great presence on the back end since arriving in Edmonton at the trade deadline last season. He has a great mind for the defensive zone and the defensive side of the puck and has the ability to break out, play physically, and cover for his partner. The veteran was a strong presence for young defencemen on the Nashville Predators, and has continued that for Bouchard in Edmonton so far.
The Oilers have Ekholm at $6 million AAV for three more seasons. Though the cap hit is fairly high, I believe that it is entirely worth it for not only his own play, but for how he elevates his partner. At one point this season I think we will see Philip Broberg benefit from playing alongside Ekholm as well. And since Broberg can now play on the right side, there’s no obvious replacement for Ekholm on the left side of the Oilers’ defence to relieve pressure from Nurse. Ekholm will finish his contract in Edmonton, and maybe even be extended past that on a cheaper deal.
Zach Hyman & Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are both key pieces to not only the Oilers’ top-six, but to their elite power play. Moving either of them would create a lot of problems for the team and there’s also no reason to move them due to poor play either. Both had career years last season, finishing with over a point-per-game for the first time in their careers, and they have both started with two goals and six points in four games.
Hyman is signed through 2028 and Nugent-Hopkins is signed through 2029. They have a combined $10.625 million AAV cap hit for players with as big of an impact as they have in all situations and they produce. It seems as though no matter what the Oilers do, depth scoring is a problem. The Oilers won’t be throwing away their secondary scoring along with the lack of depth scoring they already have. If anyone is going to be traded to free up around $5 million AAV, it’s going to be Evander Kane at this point, not Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins.
Stuart Skinner
The Oilers’ goaltending this season could be better, but the defence is also letting them down. There have been too many good scoring chances against and a lack of effort as a whole from the team. Things will get better and there’s still no reason to think that Stuart Skinner isn’t the goalie of the future in Edmonton. This homegrown talent was signed to a team-friendly deal by the Oilers at $2.6 million AAV for three seasons. He’s only in the first year of that, and if any goalie is being dealt, it’s Jack Campbell due to his cap hit and role.
Skinner became the starter last season in his rookie year and was still on his entry-level contract. While the Oilers want to see more of a split in net, I think the second-year goalie can start full-time, whether Campbell is in the picture or not. Fifty games played last season for Skinner is numbers of a starter on a team, but he does need help from a competent backup of some kind if this is the case. The Oilers won’t be moving on from their up-and-coming goaltender in just his second season as a full-time member of the team with the potential they see in him.
Dylan Holloway
If there has been one player who’s impressed me the most this season, it’s Dylan Holloway. It appears as though he has taken a big step forward over the summer in his development. The strong play didn’t just stop after the preseason. He’s holding onto the puck, creating plays, hitting, and skating like he’s one of the most talented players on the team (from “Lowetide: Edmonton Oilers’ third line showing promise but not scoring yet”, The Athletic, Oct. 20, 2023).
There was an odd lineup change in practice for the Oilers that saw Holloway move in the wrong direction down to the fourth line instead of up the lineup. This could just be something the Oilers are running in practice, but I have thought that he should already be in the top-six this season. He is pointless, but not for lack of effort. As a player still on his entry-level contract and looking like he’ll be a nice piece to the puzzle in Edmonton, there is no reason to trade someone like this, not even for a more seasoned veteran at a low cap hit. The Oilers do need players who can score this season, but they also need players they can hold onto for cheap and contribute for many years if they want their Stanley Cup window to stay open. Holloway will be a top-six winger very soon.
It’s not time to hit the panic button in Edmonton just yet as good teams start poorly all the time. The start has identified some players who might not be around that long and players the Oilers should keep around for a long time. However this plays out, don’t expect to see any of these names on the trade bait board in a few months for the Oilers.