The Edmonton Oilers aren't above picking up the "scrap" pieces from other teams when their drama gets to be a bit too much. Frankly, every NHL team should be looking at doing so if the players who shake loose or solid NHLers. 

With a little cap space to work with and with some teams around the league dealing with their own issues, a couple of solid forwards could be out there for the taking. Let's look at a few:

Kirby Dach (25, RFA, Alberta-born) is coming off a four-year, $13.45M deal (~$3.36M AAV). Montreal just gave him a $4M one-year qualifying offer but he's elected to go to arbitration. It seems odd on the surface, until you look more closely.

Dach played only 154 of 328 possible regular-season games with the Habs since the 2022 trade from Chicago, posting modest production (around 0.5 PPG when healthy) amid recurring injuries. The Canadiens don't trust that he'll remain healthy enough to warrant a $4 million salary, so their qualifying offer was a two-way deal. 

That means he's not guaranteed an NHL assignment, and he could be paid a much lower rate if demoted. He's not playing ball there, and on July 5, 2026, he was one of 15 RFAs to file for salary arbitration.

This will force negotiations or a 1-year award (he's arbitration-eligible but becomes UFA in 2027). If the two sides can work out a deal that would allow Montreal to trade him, they might. 

The Oilers have been loosely linked to him in the past. He has size (6'4"). He has skill as a right-shot forward who can play center/wing. Good playmaker with size who could add depth behind McDavid/Draisaitl and complement the skill-heavy top end.

He's also an Alberta kid with brother Colton Dach already in the Oilers organization. Playing with his brother might motivate him. 

The obvious risks are his history of injury. They are the big red flag. The less obvious risk is the gamble on a short-term deal, with money that might be better spent elsewhere. 

The arbitration filing accelerates things. Players going through this process with teams can sour relations. If it gets that far (assuming Dach isn't already irked by the two-way QO) then he may want out. 

This is a classic "buy low on talent with warts" opportunity. 

The Philadelphia Flyers are putting all their eggs in the Leo Carlsson basket and if they steal him from the Ducks via an offer sheet, it will be interesting to see if there is roster fallout. 

Owen Tippett (27, RW) is locked into an 8-year, $49.6M extension ($6.2M AAV) signed in 2024, running through 2031-32. It's a reasonable number for his production, but it includes a modified no-trade clause that starts this summer.

Flyers have solid cap flexibility (~$29-30M projected space for 2026-27 before other moves), but they're in the middle of the Carlsson offer-sheet saga with Anaheim. If they land Carlsson (or face matching fallout), they'll be adding $18 million to their books, which could create a desire to shed a little salary elsewhere. However, Tippett isn't an obvious "cap casualty"—he's a productive top-six winger.

In 2025-26, Tippett posted a strong 28G / 51P in 81GP. He's a fast, skilled shooter who can drive play and contribute on special teams. Not a superstar, he's more of a sure thing than any of the players Edmonton has tried in their top six in years. 

Tippett has been linked to Edmonton in rumors (along with other teams). He would be an excellent fit. His speed, shot, and size complement Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He could slot into the top-six and add secondary scoring/physicality.

The $6.2 million might not be a steal today, but it will be seen as one in a couple of seasons, with a cap hit on a prime-age player that won't be increasing. 

The caveat here is that the Flyers aren't desperate to dump him—they value his production and the contract is team-friendly. Plus, he has a modified NTC complicating deals. 

There is always a chance the Carlsson drama might push the Flyers to retain scoring depth rather than subtract it.

If the Anaheim Ducks match the offer sheet on Carlsson, they'll immediately need to get to work on a deal for Cutter Gauthier and someone from that roster could shake loose. The Oilers would do well to see who the Ducks might be willing to move on from for pennies on the dollar, possibly retaining salary to ensure Anaheim can keep its young core together. 

That could include Chris Kreider, Alex Killorn, or Frank Vatrano.

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