Oilers player who must be traded soon

The The Edmonton Oilers came within a shot of the Stanley Cup back in June. Over the summer, they looked to bolster their goaltending depth to improve their postseason chances. The Oilers signed Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson as part of their NHL free agency. At the time, the moves seemed like smart signings.

The moves themselves did not provide the best results on the ice. and yet, The Oilers are in good shape as a team. Edmonton is tied for second place in the Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Kings. At this rate, they’re looking at the barrel for the fourth time in a row meeting with the Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Edmonton certainly wants to make some upgrades before 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. For example, they could add scoring depth. And a new body on the blue line couldn’t hurt either. The problem is that Edmonton is short on cap space. They are meant to have just over a million dollars to deal with on deadline day, according to PuckPedia.

Edmonton will have to get a little creative to make the moves they want. This includes trading a veteran player from their roster in a starring role. The Oilers have a prime trade candidate as the 2025 NHL trade deadline approaches.

Jeff Skinner failed for the Oilers

Jeff Skinner came to the Oilers with some excitement around him. The veteran wing could not sustain his 82-point campaign in 2022-23. However, he still put up solid offensive numbers. On a one-year deal, it looked like Edmonton was getting a bit of a steal.

40 games later and any hype surrounding him has died in the wind. Skinner had seven goals and 15 points during his tenure in Edmonton. This puts him on track for 14 goals and 31 points for the 2024-25 season. These totals are worse than his offensive performance for the Buffalo Sabers in 2023-24.

Suffice it to say, it didn’t work out in Edmonton. In fact, the Oilers even benched him on Dec. 29 due to his lack of offensive production. The veteran winger is a free agent at the end of this season, but his value has likely declined.

The Oilers should do everything they can to trade Skinner before the March 7 NHL trade deadline. For Edmonton, it’s not about a comeback. They need additional cap flexibility so they can bolster the roster in other ways.

Trading Skinner in a “hockey trade” might be the way to go. If the Oilers are targeting a trade candidate on a rebuilding team, they could include the veteran winger in the deal. His $3 million raise could help offset the considerable salary going back to the Oilers. The selling team may be hesitant to add him to the lineup. However, his strike could save them valuable salary cap space.

Skinner could be traded to another team with the draft. This is a route Edmonton may be hesitant to go down. They will likely trade capital to add to their roster. Moving extra draft picks just to shed salary may not be the most desirable move.

Skinner could rebuild his value with a rebuilding team ahead of NHL Free Agency this summer. The Oilers could add a needed piece as they contend for the Stanley Cup. Overall, moving the veteran wing could prove beneficial for both sides in the long run.