Oilers & Wild Emerging as Potential Trade Partners

The Edmonton Oilers are looking for depth up front and are trying to land a couple of forwards they can plug-and-play into their bottom six. Ideally GM Ken Holland finds two experienced NHL vets who have been battled tested during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and TSN's Ryan Rishaug thinks Pat Maroon from the Minnesota Wild could be the perfect target.

A player like Pat Maroon would fit the bill on all three of these fronts – (Not sure his availability). There are others who check one or two of the boxes. Point is – Holland has to find a way to check a box, and it needs to happen now.

The Oilers have won four straight games and are trying to climb their way back into the playoff picture in the Western Conference, meanwhile the Wild have won three straight and are 8-10-4 on the season. Maroon has appeared in 22 games for the Wild, recording 11 points. He holds trade protection against 16 teams.

Edmonton recently gave defenseman Philip Broberg permission to seek a trade so perhaps there's a potential match there between the two clubs. Wild GM Bill Guerin has to deal with over $14.7 million in dead cap space this season and next thanks to buy outs of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, which certainly complicates any trade financially.

There's also Marc-Andre Fleury who could be a wildcard in all of this as the Oilers are searching for a capable goaltender this season. If they continue to win games and have Jack Campbell on the trade block, perhaps a larger more complex deal could be worked out between Holland and Guerin.

For now, Maroon seems like a fit in Edmonton and could reunite with some old teammates. There's also been free agent Corey Perry who has been linked to the Oilers and could be on Holland's radar.