The Edmonton Oilers continue to be a topic of trade speculation as they still try to reach a playoff position.
Philip BrobergAfter reeling off eight straight wins from Nov. 24 to Dec. 12, the Edmonton Oilers have dropped three straight heading into their back-to-back matchups with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. Some pundits wonder if management might make a move once the holiday roster freeze is lifted on Dec. 28.
The Oilers frequently surfaced in the rumor mill among the clubs in the market for a goaltender. There is also ongoing speculation over Philip Broberg's future in Edmonton. The 22-year-old defenseman is toiling with their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. Oilers GM Ken Holland recently denied giving his agent permission to speak with other teams about a trade.
On Tuesday, TSN's Darren Dreger indicated that Broberg still wants to play in the NHL, suggesting a trade seems more likely for the young blueliner. Dreger also mentioned the possibility that he could be used as a sweetener if the Oilers attempted to trade Jack Campbell to free up some cap space.
Campbell is also playing in the minors as he tries to get his game back on track. It could take more than packaging Broberg in the deal to tempt any NHL team into taking Campbell's $5-million annual salary cap hit through 2026-27 off the Oilers' hands.
Holland could prefer using Broberg to make a big splash near the March 8 trade deadline similar to his acquisition of Mattias Ekholm leading up to the 2023 deadline.
The Athletic's Allan Mitchell said he believes the Oilers' GM has the pieces to pull it off without having to include Campbell in the deal. He suggested packaging Broberg or Dylan Holloway in an offer along with a first-round pick and a veteran such as Warren Foegele or Brett Kulak.