Five Edmonton Oilers trade targets ahead of 2026 NHL Draft
2026 NHL Draft
Mock Draft Each Team's NeedsTkachuk Trade EffectConsensus Big BoardProspect RankingsFive Edmonton Oilers trade targets ahead of 2026 NHL Draft
Blues winger Jordan Kyrou has three 30-goal seasons in his NHL career. Dilip Vishwanat / Getty Images
By Allan MitchellJune 22, 2026 UpdatedThere’s a reasonable chance the Edmonton Oilers will use a big portion of their currently available cap room to re-sign pending free agents. Jason Dickinson signed a long-term contract on Sunday, and Connor Murphy, also acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the deadline, delivered enough to earn strong consideration for a new contract. Free agency is just over a week away, and the Oilers could solve two big issues before July 1.
The Dickinson signing and the anticipated re-signing of Murphy would use up most of the cap room currently enjoyed by the team. Free agency isn’t strong this year, either, meaning the organization will need to make trades. Here are five trade targets worth considering this week for Edmonton.
Jordan Kyrou, St. Louis Blues
Kyrou is coming off a downbeat season (his 18 goals this season were exactly half of his 2024-25 total), and the Blues are reportedly looking to move him. That’s good news for the Oilers, as his value is at a low ebb compared to the past. At 28, and with a range of skills (skating, passing, shooting, transporting) that amount to a complete skill set offensively, he’s an ideal target for Edmonton. His Puck IQ player card is splendid, and he’s a consistent producer at five-on-five.
His cap hit is $8.125 million through the summer of 2031, but Oilers general manager Stan Bowman should acquire him anyway. He’s pure skill, an outscorer at five-on-five, can drive a line and has several years in front of him before the long fade. This deal would have to include Darnell Nurse exiting with little retention, and perhaps a three-way deal would satisfy all involved. Kyrou is the one available winger with the torque to deliver the kinds of offensive seasons Zach Hyman has authored in Edmonton.
Bryan Rust, Pittsburgh Penguins
Rust is aging (34) but still has good speed (78th percentile) and a plus shot (73rd percentile), per NHL Edge. He struggled versus elites a year ago, but was money, via PuckIQ, against mid and lower levels of competition. He has scored 20 or more goals seven seasons in a row, with 29 this season, plus another in the playoffs.
The Penguins and Oilers have been linked in the Nurse trade discussions; it’s possible that an expanded deal lands Rust. He would be a strong addition to Edmonton’s top two lines. Rust’s advanced age makes him a less attractive target, but for Bowman, acquiring another difference-making scorer is a priority.
Michael DiPietro, Boston Bruins
Plenty of attention this offseason is being spent on prospect goaltenders Devon Levi of the Buffalo Sabres and Sebastian Cossa of the Detroit Red Wings. DiPietro doesn’t get much publicity, but his three-season run in the AHL produced save percentages of .918 (No. 6 in AHL in 2023-24), .927 (No. 2 in 2024-25) and .930 (best in the league last season). His cap hit is $812,500, and he won’t likely clear waivers this fall.
The Bruins appear set in goal without DiPietro. The Oilers might be able to grab a better goaltender (based on AHL performance) than Levi or Cossa with a draft pick as the asset cost. In a season when the cap will be tight, taking a chance on DiPietro seems a reasonable bet. He has a solid resume.
The Oilers’ trade for Tristan Jarry was the Bowman bet last season. Jarry wasn’t 100 percent healthy when he arrived and had an uneven regular season. The options for established goaltenders are mostly expensive veterans, and DiPietro’s AHL numbers are better than Levi’s and Cossa’s. Bowman would be taking a chance on a less famous player, but the price is right, and Edmonton needs to save cap room somewhere.
Nick Seeler, Philadelphia Flyers
Good NHL defencemen can be found if you know what to look for; just ask the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. Last season, Seeler spent 35 percent of his five-on-five time versus elites, and delivered a 52 percent Dangerous Fenwick (similar to expected goals) and 48 percent goal share, via PuckIQ.
Seeler, 33, has a $2.7 million cap hit on a contract with two more years on it. For the Oilers, Seeler might be a reasonable replacement for Nurse, who has been connected to the Flyers in recent weeks.
Mavrik Bourque, Dallas Stars
Bourque is a talented young winger eligible for an offer sheet. I wrote about him recently, suggesting a $4.1 million offer sheet, with the cost being a second-round selection. He’s young and skilled, and would increase the group of wingers aged 24 and younger with top-six skill. Currently, the Oilers have Vasily Podkolzin, Matt Savoie and emerging scorer Ike Howard. Adding Bourque to that group increases the chances of two or more successful scoring lines.
The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman wrote an article suggesting several attractive offer sheet options. One of them, Mackie Samoskevich, was traded on Sunday to the Seattle Kraken. For the Oilers, it’s been a long time since an offer sheet has been executed (Dustin Penner in 2007). The team’s lack of draft picks and dearth of youthful skill make it a legitimate option.
Bottom line
The Oilers should be set at centre with the Dickinson signing. Assuming Murphy also signs, dealing Nurse for Seeler should give the team enough ammunition to acquire a scoring winger. Kyrou might be a bridge too far, but a three-way deal involving a team interested in Nurse with something that could satisfy the Blues might work.
Beyond that, the offer sheet for Bourque costs only money and a second-round pick. That’s worth a try. The Rust acquisition probably requires multiple players going both ways and may not work. Bowman may go another direction in goal, but DiPietro is inexpensive, bona fide and, after spending years in the AHL, motivated.
A summer that brings Dickinson, Murphy, Seeler, Bourque and DiPietro avoids a massive albatross contract and addresses needs with solid-to-excellent options. Kyrou should be the target, but the Oilers aren’t well situated to make that deal.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
