Edmonton Oilers explore lateral trade to cover early injuries up front

The Edmonton Oilers are already testing the trade market. Just days into the 2026-27 campaign and with several forwards hurt, the club has started gauging options to add depth up front.

Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Edmonton has begun exploring the possibility of a “lateral” move, sending a defenceman out in exchange for a forward. The Oilers are viewed as having a surplus on the blue line, but a string of injuries among their forwards has thinned out the options in their top 12.

Injuries pile up for Oilers forwards

Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jason Dickinson, Matt Savoie and Mattias Janmark are all currently unavailable. Only Savoie has been placed on long-term injured reserve, while Nugent-Hopkins, Janmark and Dickinson are on regular injured reserve.

Nugent-Hopkins is dealing with a lower-body issue and does not yet have a clear timetable for his return. Hyman is expected to miss roughly two weeks with an undisclosed injury. With most of the absences projected to be relatively short, management is not under pressure to force a major deal, but is open to a smaller, position-for-position swap if a suitable opportunity appears.

“They have a lot of D and some forward injuries. They have explored a lateral trade,” Friedman said during the Saturday Headlines segment on Saturday Night Hockey, noting that the Oilers would be targeting a depth forward in any such move.

Samanski and Jones step in as Oilers keep scoring

In the meantime, Edmonton has reshuffled its lineup to cope with the missing forwards. Josh Samanski and Max Jones have been inserted into the forward group, forcing the coaching staff to rework combinations and spread out offensive responsibilities.

Even with a patchwork lineup, the Oilers have not struggled to score against the Vancouver Canucks. Edmonton lost its season opener 6-5 in overtime before responding two nights later with a wild 9-7 victory. The offensive outburst eases some of the urgency to complete a trade, but the club’s thin depth up front remains a concern as long as key players are sidelined.

As the early schedule continues, the Oilers must decide whether to ride out the injuries with internal call-ups and short-term fixes, or cash in part of their blue-line depth to secure more reliable support among their forwards.