It's the Monday before the trade deadline, which means it's time to return to our Edmonton Oilers trade targets series.

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Despite the obvious firepower at the top of their lineup, it's become increasingly clear that the Oilers need an offensive boost. They've scored 11 fewer goals than expected (per MoneyPuck), and even Connor McDavid is struggling without Leon Draisaitl on the ice.

So for the next couple of days, we will focus on some possible trade targets to help beef up the top six and give the Oilers' superstars a proper wingman. We'll start with a player Oilers fans know well from his time with the Vegas Golden Knights: right winger Alex Tuch.

The Player

Originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild, Tuch was one of the original Golden Misfits in Vegas, playing four seasons with the Golden Knights as a third-line power forward.

The Syracuse native was sent home to western New York in 2021 as part of the Buffalo Sabres' return for Jack Eichel, where he enjoyed a breakout 2022-23 season next to Tage Thompson and current Oiler Jeff Skinner. While his 36 goals and 79 points from that season likely represent his ceiling, he's playing at a 31-goal, 65-point pace this year.

At 6'4" and 219 lbs, the 28-year-old Tuch is one of the fastest players in the NHL for his size and excels off the rush. He's a true top-six winger with plenty of experience playing further down the lineup, as well. 

The Good

Tuch is hard to miss. His size and speed have always made him a handful for opposing defenses, whether as a third-line checker or a first-line scorer. His best season came as the puck carrier and energy guy on one of the most dynamic lines in hockey with Thompson and Skinner, with all three players feeding off each other en route to career years.

He would get the opportunity to reunite with Skinner in Edmonton, with Draisaitl standing in for Thompson as the elite goal-scoring center. Failing that, Tuch could also pair up with Connor McDavid to create a nigh-unstoppable rush attack, or he could even shift down to the third line to spread the wealth. 

Better yet, Tuch has one more year left on his contract after this one, with an extremely affordable $4.75 million cap hit. His presence would cover for the likely losses of Skinner and Evander Kane next season. 

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The Bad

Tuch is far from a perfect player. For all his size and speed, Tuch can be a bit one-note on offense, and he's much better off the rush than on the cycle. That could pose a problem in Edmonton, where most of the offence is created in-zone. It's no guarantee that Tuch has the offensive creativity to mesh with McDavid and Draisaitl as the buzz around the offensive zone.

If Tuch is one-note on offense, he's no-note on defense. Part of the reason that great Sabres line never made the playoffs or stuck together was their atrocious defense, and Tuch was part of that. It took Jeff Skinner 50 games to adapt to Kris Knoblauch's playbook and get his two-way game sorted out -- the Oilers can't afford to wait that long for Tuch.

This might all be a moot point anyway, because Tuch is going to command a huge return. The Oilers, with just one blue-chip prospect in Sam O'Reilly and no first round pick this season, would have a hard time putting together a solid package for the big winger.

The Verdict

If the Oilers can cobble together a package for Tuch, they should absolutely pull the trigger. Even with his defensive issues, the upside is too high and the fit is too good not to. 

The Oilers should be all-in at this trade deadline. That means you empty the cupboards, burn the boats, sell the farm, whatever figure of speech you like, but they're too good and this season is too wide open not to do it. Tuch would help make this team a Stanley Cup favourite. That means he's worth it, whatever "it" is.

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