Insider "Fully Expects" Oilers to Trade For Right-Shot Defenseman

The Edmonton Oilers' defence has been uprooted this offseason, with the departures of Cody Ceci and Philip Broberg. The team is short one top-four d-man, and now plugged-in Oilers insider Bob Stauffer says they will be looking at a trade to fill that void, particularly on the right side.

Great to see the @EdmontonOilers key Management people and HC Kris Knoblauch all in Penticton.

Fully expect the Oilers to be in the market for a 2nd pairing RD...at some point...
Preferably with a little term left...
— Bob Stauffer (@Bob_Stauffer) September 15, 2024

Stauffer says he "fully expects" the Oilers to be scouring the trade market for that second-pairing, right-shot blueliner "at some point."

He also notes that he doesn't expect it to be a rental, but rather a player with "a little term left."

The Oilers don't have to look very far to find the most obvious suitable candidate for a trade such as the one Stauffer suggests. Just down the highway in Calgary resides a tremendous top-four, right-shot d-man, Rasmus Andersson, who will just happen to be on the trade block at some point this season. The 27-year-old has two years remaining on his contract at a $4.55 million cap hit. The rebuilding Flames won't be re-signing him, and should be looking to recoup some nice assets for him now.

Edmonton could afford his current cap hit once Evander Kane and his $5.125M cap hit is placed on LTIR (we learned today that he will be undergoing surgery).

But the heated rival Flames and Oilers doing business with each other? That could be the biggest impediment to getting Andersson to Edmonton.

There will be other candidates around the league emerge as the season takes shape, and the way the Edmonton defence looks heading into camp, it appears that one of Ty Emberson, Troy Stecher, or Josh Brown will have to line up on the second pairing next to Darnell Nurse.

Safe to say that a move will be made. "At some point".