As injuries disrupt training camp, Edmonton may look to the trade market, eyeing a potential Kirby Dach deal or a bold play for Seattle’s young center Shane Wright.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the Edmonton Oilers might be looking around the trade market. Given a couple of the injuries that popped up in camp, and hoping to deepen their roster in a position where they could use a little strength, Friedman notes, “I think Edmonton is looking for a right-shot center. They’ve been combing what’s available. And you know, Mike Babcock, he is so minute at his coaching of hockey that he would look at this and say, we need this, that’s why the Dach rumours have been there."
Friedman adds, "I wondered about Shane Wright for Edmonton, and I think they poked around, but I don’t believe that’s going to happen."
The Kirby Dach rumors aren't new. Frank Seravalli reported last week that the Oilers’ interest in Dach “borders on drooling.” A 6-foot-4, right-shot forward from nearby Fort Saskatchewan, Dach is appealing when healthy. And the Oilers already have his younger brother, Colton. General manager Stan Bowman also drafted Kirby third overall while running the Chicago Blackhawks.
Seravalli said in a recent post for Casino.org, “Sources indicate two teams in particular — the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames — have kept close tabs on Dach’s status this month to see if they could wait out the Habs, who have held firm on a high asking price.” He adds, “Multiple teams were believed to have offered the Canadiens a second-round pick for Dach in June.”
Health is the real risk. Dach appeared in just two games in 2023-24, missed the rest of 2024-25 after knee surgery, and was limited by injuries again in 2025-26. A bounce-back is possible, but Edmonton would be paying for potential, not proven consistency.
The Shane Wright connection is a recent development. Seattle drafted him fourth overall in 2022, and he had 44 points, including 19 goals, in 79 games during his first full NHL season in 2024-25. Still, he hasn't seemed to find his way as a top prospect, generally struggling against some of the picks that joined the NHL around the same time.
He's a right shot with room to grow, which Edmonton appears to want. But that upside makes him costly.
Cost would be a big factor as would the OIlers' cap situation, which isn't great now that they've got injury concerns that dug into their flexibility.
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