The Edmonton Oilers are in a difficult spot. Despite not yet winning the Stanley Cup during the Connor McDavid era, the team is aging out in some important areas. The gap between the elite talent and the upper-level support is eroding as foundation players enter their mid-30s.

The team has cap room this summer, but there will still be holes to fill when money gets tight in late July. The Oilers need to steal a player from another organization. A theft in broad daylight is the only solution to Edmonton’s problem. A player with at least some NHL experience, which must include some scoring ability at five-on-five and at least some defensive awareness. Sound impossible? That’s the job this summer.

The situation

The Oilers have three elite talents: McDavid (1.683 points per game in 2025-26), Leon Draisaitl (1.492) and Evan Bouchard (1.159). All are at the cutting edge of NHL scoring. McDavid was second among NHL forwards, Draisaitl fourth, and Bouchard led the league’s defencemen in points per game. For any team, that’s a fantastic foundation.

Since Zach Hyman arrived via free agency in the summer of 2021, he and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have been staples on the top two lines (along with McDavid and Draisaitl). However, as Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins age, much of their offence is derived via the power play. At five-on-five, the downbeat in offence that occurs for all players in their 30s is evident:

Player2023-242024-252025-26

2.53

1.67

1.82

1.66

1.23

1.38

All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick

Nugent-Hopkins at five-on-five has always been a complementary offensive contributor, but he has posted more than 30 or more points at five-on-five in five of his NHL seasons. The most recent came in 2022-23, when Nugent-Hopkins scored 39 points. In 2025-26, he delivered 22 points, an increase of one from 2024-25. Nugent-Hopkins’ offence at five-on-five is fading.

Hyman at five-on-five with Edmonton started at 1.97 points per 60 in 2022-23, then delivered outstanding 2.37 and 2.53 totals in the following seasons. He’s the best free-agent signing in Oilers history and remains a productive five-on-five scorer. His issue is injuries, and as he gets older, the team will probably have to play more games without him because of it.

In-house solutions aren’t enough

All of which brings us to the issue at hand. The Oilers have two young wingers who are delivering well as offensive contributors. Vasily Podkolzin (1.73 points per 60 at five-on-five) and Matt Savoie (1.51) are quality players, and both possess a range of skills that allow them to rise above the one-dimensional types. Both men could be productive for years alongside centres like McDavid and Draisaitl, but cannot be considered drivers on a line. Each has more tools than a one-dimensional winger like Jack Roslovic on last year’s team, but neither man would be mistaken for prime Taylor Hall during his Edmonton years.

There’s talk in Edmonton about acquiring wingers like Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues or Owen Tippett of the Philadelphia Flyers. Both would be welcome additions to the Oilers, but they carry large salaries, and the asset cost to acquire them would be high.

What the Oilers need to do is steal a player. It can be done. Glen Sather did it many times during his run as Oilers general manager. Kevin Lowe did it several times (Jan Hejda, Curtis Glencross) but didn’t recognize the talent in time to retain it. Peter Chiarelli did it while general manager of the Oilers, when acquiring Patrick Maroon from the Anaheim Ducks at the trade deadline in 2016.

What the Oilers need is an inexpensive player who can play a significant role on the 2026-27 team. He doesn’t have to be a pure scorer; in fact, the team might be better off with a two-way type (like Nugent-Hopkins or Savoie), a skilled agitator (like Hyman) or a bruiser with brains (Podkolzin).

Who is this magical player? Remember, we are talking about someone who isn’t making major dollars, didn’t play on a feature line one year ago, but has been hanging around the NHL long enough to produce a workable resume. I looked at the 2025-26 season, and forwards who exceeded 150 minutes five-on-five while scoring over 1.6 points per 60 and delivering a low expected goal share.

The best target

Stephen Halliday scored 4-7-11 in 30 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2025-26. He doesn’t own a high draft pedigree (fourth round, 2022) but does have size (6-foot-4, 214 pounds). His foot speed is about average (max speed is in the 55th percentile, via NHL Edge). He scored 2.49 points per 60 over 193 five-on-five minutes, and his expected GA-60 (2.32) was impressive. PuckIQ clocked him playing just 12 percent versus elites, meaning the Senators didn’t play him in a feature role. He will turn 24 in July of this year.

The scouting report on Halliday has all kinds of positives. Scott Wheeler at The Athletic wrote over a year ago, “He’s got a great stick, too, and gets his blade onto pucks first inside the offensive zone to find ways to keep sequences alive and then hold onto them long enough for teammates to get open.” That’s the kind of player the Oilers might be able to use on the McDavid line. Jesse Puljuarvi’s most useful skill when playing with Edmonton’s captain was just as described by Wheeler above in regard to Halliday.

Halliday’s availability is unknown, but he would be a worthy target for the Oilers.

The rest

The next name on the list? Max Jones. Not necessarily the “a-ha” moment fans might be looking for, but he performed well in 174 minutes (1.72 points per 60, 1.55 expected GA-60) with Edmonton in 2025-26. Jones, 28, is also an unrestricted free agent, and the Oilers may not view him as a realistic roster option for next season. Maroon was about the same age when dealt to the Oilers. There might be a player there.

Cole Schwindt is 25 and has knocked around the NHL for a few seasons. He found a home with the Florida Panthers in 2025-26, scoring 1.62 points per 60 in 259 minutes five-on-five. His expected GA-60 (2.04) suggests real ability in shot suppression. He’s 6-foot-3, 210 pounds and is arbitration eligible ($825,000 AAV) this summer.

Bottom line

Of course, Kyrou is more of a sure thing. He played 923 minutes at five-on-five last season, often against difficult competition. He scored 1.89 points per 60 and was the owner of a pristine 2.11 expected GA-60. But his cap hit is $8.125 million.

The Oilers were damned good at finding real talent before the salary cap arrived, and this is a good time to return to roots procurement. The hockey world has changed over the cap era, but there’s a moneypuck wrinkle available that allows teams to pluck top-drawer players in the period of time when they remain obscure.

Halliday might be one of those players.