Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers finally snapped their five-game losing streak against the Hurricanes, which, for many, was a sigh of relief. But hold the excitement and buckle up for the twist. The NHL is now engulfed with trade deals, and the Oilers are looking for great fits for their organization ahead of the playoffs. An NHL insider has dropped a bombshell recently as he hints at a possible trade approach for the Oilers.

Branden Escott, hit the X to drop a post, saying, “I think [the #Oilers] are looking for a forward with speed and size…a D too…it’s dollar in, dollar out, but if they can create some cap room, we’ll see what else can happen here.” And here we go. Trade talks are already underway with the Buffalo Sabres forward, Alex Tuch. 

Alex Tuch can be a great fit for the Oilers’ future. In his 58-game season so far, Tuch has made 22 goals and 24 assists, with a points tally of 46. Tuch, who plays for the Sabres, is currently in the last year of his seven-year, $33,250,000 contract, which he signed with his former team, the Vegas Golden Knights. Per his contract, the Oilers have to bear a base salary of $4,750,000.

To add more taste to the trade recipe, let’s not forget that Alex Tuch and Jeff Skinner, the Oilers’ winger, go way back. When Tuch was with Vegas, he and Skinner clicked and had some solid chemistry, especially when they got bumped up the lineup. If the Oilers trade for Tuch comes through, it’d be a reunion for the two. Plus, there’s a chance Tuch could line up with Connor McDavid, and that could be nasty for other teams. Cool, right? But is Alex Tuch alone in the trade talks? No. Actually, the Oilers are facing a dilemma with their current forward, Evander Kane. 

He’s been out a lot this season with injuries, but instead of putting him on LTIR to free up some cap space, they’re just straight-up trading him without his approval, which has got people talking. If Kane’s good to go by playoffs, the Oilers could really use his grit and edge. If he’s not, they kinda have no choice but to move him and get a goalie, which they desperately need. Kane, though, wants to end up with a legit contender, not just some team trying to scrape by in the regular season.

On the other hand, the Oilers’ goalie, Stuart Skinner, has been plagued with poor performances such as allowing 20 goals in his past four games played. While Calvin Pickard had done a fairly good job in the recent when he got the chance to replace Skinner. Pickard allowed only one goal out of 36 shots made in the Hurricanes game on March 2, sending a subtle message to the front office regarding his future. One that clearly states that he has overshadowed Skinner. Hence, there is a high probability that the Oilers might trade Skinner, which would free up $2.6 million in cap space this season.

As the Oilers gear up for potential trades, especially targeting forwards and goalies, there are some big questions that need to be answered — which could shape their whole playoff push. Are they looking for a pure sniper who can capitalize on McDavid and Draisaitl’s setups? Or are they just scrambling to find a veteran presence to patch the hole left by Evander Kane? Either way, the type of forward they go after will say a lot about how their chances pan out this year. Are they all in for a deep run or just trying to stay afloat?

Right now, the Oilers are looking hard for guys like Alex Tuch and Brock Nelson — and yeah, it’s pretty clear why. McDavid’s just hoping the front office doesn’t mess up and brings in the right guys to actually help the team this year. The franchise ranks second in the Pacific Division but only because the other teams in the division havent been faring well either. Out of the 60 games played, the Oilers have managed to win 35. Connor McDavid himself has some subtle trade-related memo for the Oilers’ the front desk. 

Connor McDavid’s subtle yet strong front office message

With the trade deadline is fast approaching, Connor McDavid has some words for the organization. When asked about the upcoming trade, he said, “Management in years past have always done a good job of pitching in and giving us another horse in the stable to help us coming down the stretch and into the playoffs, so I’d expect management to do the same.” 

The captain has slim interest in directly involving himself in the trades — he’s keeping his focus entirely on his job on the ice. That’s why he said, “My job is to make sure that everyone in here is ready to roll, myself first and foremost, It’s not my job to trade for guys,” while talking about the same.

When it comes to locking down their playoff spot and holding their ground, the Oilers really need to throttle for the next 20 games. Honestly, the whole playoff picture will clear up after the next 15 games. For now, the central point of everyone’s focus is on the March 7 trade deadline — the Oilers have only until then to exercise their best chance at bringing in some serious talent.