Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman enters his second full summer at the helm of the club with significant shopping to do. Upgrades in net, along the blue line and at centre are on the list, and it’s a poor year in free agency. The trade route will be a more welcoming option for Bowman this offseason. There are teams with three or more goalies looking to deal, and Edmonton has some room under the cap to wheel this summer.

Here’s a look at the top trade options for the Oilers, and a brief glimpse at what fans might expect in return.

Darnell Nurse

The big man who was once part of the heart and soul of the Oilers has been supplanted by Evan Bouchard as the top defenceman on the team. Nurse’s situation has been well covered over the last couple of weeks, with his requesting a trade making life easier for Bowman. The Oilers left-side depth chart on defence is strong, and with Mattias Ekholm and Jake Walman having been signed to extensions by Bowman, the die was cast, and Nurse’s exit is now imminent.

The return for Nurse will depend on the Oilers willingness to retain on the contract. If the club wants to send Nurse’s $9.25 million cap hit away completely, chances are a contract with money attached will be coming back. A team like the Los Angeles Kings might be a fit. In a recent article at The Athletic, Shayna Goldman opined, “What if the Kings could move out the Brian Dumoulin contract ($4 million), or Joel Edmundson ($3.85 million), and swap in Nurse?” That kind of deal would allow Bowman to add a veteran defender and shake loose something close to $5 million in cap room.

Ike Howard

Howard enjoyed an excellent season in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors. The young goal-scoring winger posted 24 goals and 50 points as a rookie pro, including a 52 percent goal share at even strength. Scouting reports had him cheating for offence far less as the season went along, and he improved as an inhibitor of opposition breakouts by turning over pucks in the neutral zone.

Bowman acquired Howard, so he will be hesitant to deal him. However, if there’s a young centre, agitating forward or goaltender available who is also years from arbitration and full free agency, the organization may be compelled to make a trade. A player like Rutger McGroarty might be a better fit for the new Oilers coach in terms of style, and he’s still in his entry-level deal.

Ty Emberson

If the Oilers are unable to sign Connor Murphy for the second pairing, the club could be forced to make a decision on Emberson. A solid third-pairing option, he’s only adequate on the No. 2 duo. Emberson has shown signs of taking a step forward, but the organization may not want to risk the season on his emergence.

There’s a nice range of skills from Emberson, and management might be able to package him with a draft pick and find a stronger option for the second pair. If Emberson is traded, count on a right-handed defenceman coming back. They have high value. It could also give Edmonton the opportunity to sign a bigger option (like Vincent Desharnais), who’s quality on the third pair and an excellent penalty killer.

2028 first-round selection

First-round draft picks have high value even if they’re two years away. The Oilers have some protection on the team’s 2027 first-round selection, dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Jason Dickinson-Colton Dach deal. The protection includes surrendering the 2028 first-rounder if the Oilers 2027 pick lands inside the top 12. If the Oilers deal the 2028 pick, Chicago would immediately take possession of the 2027 selection with no restrictions.

Despite not drafting in the first round once in the past three years and having sent away the 2026 and 2027 (conditional) picks, Bowman may want to hold on to the 2028 selection. However, the Oilers are in the window to win, so there’s a chance it could be gone by Canada Day.

2026 second-round selection

This pick has real value. Edmonton usually trades the pick at the deadline for immediate help, but this selection could help put a substantial deal over the top. The last time a second-round selection was traded by Edmonton during the summer, the general manager traded for defenceman Griffin Reinhart.

Beau Akey

The Oilers have an emerging right-handed defenceman in Bakersfield. Akey has great speed and can pass the puck well. He had some injury issues in 2025-26, and the organization didn’t use him in feature roles in the second half. Coming off a season where he posted a 57 percent goal percentage at even strength while scoring two goals and 10 points in 42 games, he’s ready to push for NHL time at 21.

Right-handed defencemen have extra value, while Akey’s lack of size (6-feet, 173 pounds) may mean the Oilers are willing to move on from him. He will have trade value this summer.

Matvey Petrov

Petrov has completed his entry-level deal without making it to the NHL. In the minors, he has teased with his skating and puck skills. Petrov could be a legit penalty killer in the NHL now, but his offence in the AHL won’t move the needle in Edmonton. Per 82 games in Bakersfield, Petrov has scored 13-11-24 while showing enough skill to suggest far more. NHL teams scout other clubs closely, and Petrov might be a throw-in. He’s an RFA and unlikely to return, but the talent is significant enough to track the player wherever he lands in the fall. That PK ability has impressed someone.

Bottom line

Bowman will need to look at trade options this summer because free agency won’t offer much help. If the team can sign Murphy to a deal, it eases the pressure on the right side of the defence. Getting Dickinson signed would help at centre.

It’s extremely likely the goaltender, and at least one of the other solutions (second-pair defence, No. 3 centre), comes via the trade route.

Nurse will exit, but he won’t be the only one. Watch for draft picks and a right-handed defenceman to be in play in the next two weeks.