NHL Rumors: Insider Bob Stauffer reports Edmonton Oilers' interest in a "not necessarily a right hand, shutdown" defenseman

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Nov 21, 2024 01:30 GMT

The Edmonton Oilers are in the market for a defenseman, insider Bob Stauffer claims. During the Ottawa Senators-Edmonton Oilers broadcast on Tuesday night, Stauffer discussed the Oilers’ plans to acquire another defenseman.

Stauffer highlighted that while Darnell Nurse is close to returning to the lineup, the Oilers are, in the market to upgrade their blueliner.

Stauffer stated:

"It's not necessarily going to be a shutdown defenseman. It's not necessarily going to be a right-shot defenseman."

In particular, Stauffer underscored that:

“It might not be a guy that’s on anybody’s radar screen right now.”

The Edmonton Oilers could be looking at a blueliner that wouldn’t appear to be available at the moment. Stauffer pointed to Mattias Ekholm as one deal that caught everyone by surprise. Thus far, it is unclear what teams the Oilers may have contacted or which players the club has inquired about.

Ultimately, the Oilers are not necessarily targeting one specific type of player. That involves a defenseman with some term left on his deal and who could compete with players like Travis Dermott and Ty Emberson, potentially pushing them down the depth chart.

Potential targets for the Edmonton Oilers blue line

According to insider Frank Seravalli, one player that stands out is Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Petterson. The rumor mill has gone into overdrive since Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said the club is open for business.

While Pettersson could be a solid addition, the numbers may not favor a deal. Pettersson is a pending UFA with a cap hit of over $4 million AAV.

Seravalli also mentioned the Philadelphia Flyers' Rasmus Ristolainen, Ivan Provorov, David Jiricek, Mike Matheson and Cam Fowler.

While the abovementioned names could fit the bill for the Oilers, perhaps the most intriguing name might be Matheson. He’s the de facto number one defenseman in Montreal and could fit in nicely on the Edmonton Oilers’ second pairing.

The cost to acquire Matheson is uncertain. According to Seravalli, the Canadiens aren’t looking to move Matheson. However, the Habs might pull the trigger if the right deal comes along.

Similarly, other blueliners like Ristolainen and Provorov could deliver the punch Edmonton is looking for. Reportedly, the Utah Hockey Club was keen on getting Provorov but ultimately failed to land him. Perhaps the Oilers may have a better chance at landing the pending UFA.

The weeks leading up to Christmas will be interesting as the Oilers look to solidify themselves in a playoff spot by then. So, adding a top-four defenseman looks to be high on Edmonton’s to-do list.