NHL Rumors: Edmonton Oilers Shopping for Defenseman

The Edmonton Oilers are expected to be buyers this season as general manager Ken Holland will try and upgrade their roster for a playoff push. Word is that's already in the works as ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported the Oilers have been busy trying to land a defenseman.

Edmonton is in the midst of a four-game losing streak thanks to Thursday's defeat to the Boston Bruins. They have been riddled with injuries to their back-end and you can't blame Holland and company for reaching out to other teams asking about price tags.

The Oilers are likely dangling their first-round pick for next season for a younger defenseman with term on his contract and are not going to move the top-pick for a rental. There's also been reports that they may be willing to move on from Tyson Barrie and go a different direction as Evan Bouchard is becoming a star. Perhaps the team could move Barrie and the pick in a package for a impact forward and a rugged defenseman. Lots on the table surely in Edmonton.

Some teams who have available defensemen include the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes and Seattle Kraken. Names like Justin Holl, Calvin de Haan and Anton Stralman are all available for the right price.

The Oilers sit third in their division with a 16-9-0 record. Even with losing four straight the team appears to be ready to contend in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You can never have enough defensemen, it makes a ton of sense for Holland to be out Christmas shopping.

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