The Edmonton Oilers have had the kind of July the organization badly needed. A reset in net and two new left-handed defencemen, plus a pile of cap room and increased roster balance; the mood among Oilers fans is upbeat.
General manager Stan Bowman could go to training camp with the current roster, satisfied that last season’s holes have been filled with legit solutions. However, since there’s time and money, it’s good to look around and see what might still be available for trade. Bowman has some waiver-eligible talent that he could deal before camp (specifically defenceman Spencer Stastney) in an effort to improve depth in other areas.
Here’s a list of productive prospects who could be acquired this summer, for cap room, Stastney, draft picks or any combination of pieces.
Matt Poitras, Boston Bruins
There was a time not so long ago that Boston Bruins centre Matt Poitras looked like he was something special. He was an impressive NHL rookie in 2023-24. Just 19, he posted 5-10-15 in 33 games with the Bruins. At five-on-five, he delivered 2.00 points per 60, a 57 percent goal share (54 percent expected) and played well in an area of sudden need for Boston. The club had lost two foundation pieces at centre (Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci), and Poitras was one of the young players who stepped into the breach and thrived.
There were concerns, though. His foot speed was less than 50 percent, and he was playing mostly sheltered minutes with veterans like Morgan Geekie, Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and Trent Frederic. The coaching staff faded him heavily against elites (as you would with a teenage centre) and his results against mid- and lower-level competition were splendid, via Puck IQ. The audition lasted 33 games, but most observers looked past the speed issues and the faceoff percentage (44) and admired the gigantic leap from junior hockey to the NHL. There may have been a rush to connect Poitras to Bergeron, who did, in fact, leap from the QMJHL to the NHL and arrived fully formed 20 years earlier.
The story for Poitras has turned out differently. His second pro season was split between the NHL and AHL. There were good scoring results in both leagues, but the goal share plummeted with Boston, and it was clear Poitras was going to take a longer route to becoming an NHL regular.
Poitras was in the AHL for all but three games in the 2025-26 season. In March, Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic wrote that the word in the industry was that Poitras was no longer a sure thing. That same article quoted Bruins general manager Don Sweeney: “We’re not disappointed in Matty. He’s really taken to heart to try to lead a Providence team that’s had a hell of a season. He’s been a big part of that. So we’re still excited in where Matt Poitras is in his development.”
Meanwhile, the Oilers’ depth chart needs a right-handed centre with room to grow and no worries about waivers this fall. Should the Bruins find themselves wavering even more than last year about Poitras’ future, Bowman would be wise to reach out and check the price on a young player who could still be a contributor.
Arthur Kaliyev, free agent
At some point, there’s just too much evidence to ignore. Arthur Kaliyev has averaged 39 goals per 82 games in the AHL after averaging 54 goals in the OHL before turning pro. He’s a first-shot scorer, a volume shooter and has never finished below 50 percent in five-on-five goal share during his NHL career (52 percent, via Natural Stat Trick).
His foot speed is eroding, though. In 2021-22, it was at the 94th percentile, but he has been clocked below 50 percent in recent seasons. He’s perhaps best known for his ability to clear waivers, and there’s a chance he signs in Europe soon. Still, as a goal-scoring outlier, he’s exceptional, and even if he merely fills the net for the Condors, that has value. Kaliyev does the most difficult thing to do in hockey: score goals. Edmonton shouldn’t look past him.
Conor Geekie, Tampa Bay Lightning
Conor Geekie is a big forward (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) who appears to be capable of pretty much everything imaginable on the ice. He can pass, deke, shoot and use his size to win battles. What he can’t do is play at a consistent level. Through 66 NHL games, he has scored nine goals and 17 points. In the AHL, over 81 games, he’s 28-51-79. Scott Wheeler at The Athletic ranked him ahead of Ike Howard in 2025, and the organization is no doubt still devoted to his future. Like Poitras, the route to NHL success has been more milk run than express. The Lightning have had difficulty graduating prospects in recent seasons and may make a decision on him soon. The Oilers would do well to be in the conversation.
The Glen Sather method
NHL general managers have more help now than their predecessors, and that makes it more difficult to make trades for emerging talent who are being overlooked elsewhere. Analytics departments and scouting directors are feeding the general manager information on prospects. Most of the time, when a club deals a prospect, they know his future.
Forty years ago, when he was general manager of the Oilers, Glen Sather could call Lou Nanne (Minnesota North Stars) or Harry Sinden (Boston Bruins) and get something done in a hurry. Sather’s 20 years as Oilers GM saw him collect names like Pat Hughes, Willy Lindstrom, Kevin McClelland, Marty McSorley, Craig Muni and others at less than full price.
Bowman works in a different era. Player theft is rare. The Oilers have been running at the top of the cap for years and didn’t have enough room for 23 roster players. The result is a lack of players who could emerge as something more than they are today.
Things have changed. The Oilers have some roster pieces ready to shake loose and some walking-around money to make things happen.
Each of the players listed has the potential to blossom over the next two seasons. Bowman doesn’t have to steal all three, but an additional young talent, especially a right-handed centre like Poitras, could be key to Edmonton’s Stanley Cup chances. The Oilers need another difference-maker. Grabbing a young, struggling talent with potential is a smart play.