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Oilers Have Made Multiple Attempts To Acquire Alex Lyon

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The Oilers have called the Sabres “a couple of times in recent weeks” about the availability of goaltender Alex Lyon, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast.

Friedman implied that Edmonton had looked at Lyon for goaltending depth in the past. It’s unclear if they made a pass at signing him in free agency last summer before Buffalo inked him to a two-year, $3MM deal.

Lyon was named the Sabres’ opening night starter after a training camp injury made Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen unavailable. The journeyman vet started strong, rattling off a .923 SV% through his first seven starts, but has since regressed significantly. He only made four appearances in November as Luukkonen and waiver claim Colten Ellis took over the majority of the duties, and his numbers on the year now read as a .904 SV%, 2.99 GAA, and 3.9 GSAx, per MoneyPuck.

That’s still the best performance out of the Sabres’ three netminders, though, and great value for his $1.5MM price tag. Nonetheless, newly promoted general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen has indicated he wants to end Buffalo’s three-goalie rotation once Ellis clears concussion protocol and is activated from injured reserve, according to Friedman. With his voice being a significant factor in influencing Ellis’ waiver claim in the first place and Luukkonen inked through the 2028-29 campaign, Lyon will likely be moved to get Buffalo back to a more traditional starter/backup split between Ellis and Luukkonen.

Edmonton’s pursuit of Lyon will presumably only get more aggressive after they lost Tristan Jarry to a lower-body injury last night. He’s departed the Oilers’ road trip and is returning home for evaluation. Connor Ingram and his 102 games of NHL experience were recalled from the Bakersfield Condors to supplement struggling backup Calvin Pickard in Jarry’s absence.

But Ingram has been the worst starter/tandem netminder in the AHL by a significant margin this season with a .856 SV%. Pickard’s NHL numbers this season – a .857 SV% and 3.91 GAA – are barely any better.

Jarry had largely fared well since his arrival in Alberta last week, but with him out, they don’t have a clear-cut NHL-caliber option, let alone a starter. Bringing in Lyon would allow the Oilers to then trade or waive Pickard, although with seven goalies already under contract in the organization, they’d likely prefer the former.

Teams swapping out their opening-night tandem by the time New Year’s Day rolls around is a rare occurrence, but if Edmonton brings in Lyon to supplant Pickard as the new No. 2 behind Jarry, it’ll have happened two years in a row. The Oilers’ desired series of moves is strikingly similar to the set of trades the Avalanche pulled off in November and December last year, sending starter Alexandar Georgiev to the Sharks for Mackenzie Blackwood and swapping backup Justus Annunen for Scott Wedgewood with the Predators.

Image courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images.

Oilers Recall Connor Ingram, Place Tristan Jarry On IR

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12:30 p.m.: The Oilers made all three roster moves official, recalling Ingram and placing Jarry on IR while shifting Roslovic to LTIR.

12:10 p.m.: The Oilers are expected to recall goaltender Connor Ingram from AHL Bakersfield before tomorrow’s game against the Wild, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports. Starter Tristan Jarry is leaving the road trip and returning to Edmonton to undergo evaluation on the lower-body injury that knocked him out of last night’s win over the Bruins.

Jarry will likely be placed on injured reserve to open the roster spot for Ingram’s recall, but that’s not the only roster move Edmonton will need to make. Adding Ingram to the roster will incur a $1.15MM cap charge, but the Oilers have already dipped significantly into their LTIR pool and have just $59K in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Edmonton can add $1.44MM to its LTIR pool by transferring forward Jack Roslovic from standard IR to LTIR. He’s already missed 10 games and 24 days with an undisclosed injury, satisfying LTIR minimums. He was initially set to return around Christmas but has yet to resume skating. Doing so would create enough flexibility to add Ingram to the roster.

Ingram, 28, is two years removed from posting a league-leading six shutouts and a 23-21-8 record in 48 starts for the Coyotes in their final season. After moving to Utah, Ingram only managed a .882 SV% and 3.27 GAA in 22 games, limited by an upper-body injury, until his season ended in March as a result of entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

The 2016 third-round pick by the Lightning entered training camp as the Mammoth’s No. 3 option behind Karel Vejmelka and free agent pickup Vítek Vaněček, but he didn’t report as he and Utah mutually agreed to part ways with a year remaining on his contract. After clearing waivers in September, he was traded to the Oilers with salary retained to serve as a high-ceiling third-stringer behind their questionable NHL tandem of the since-traded Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.

Ingram likely hoped the Oilers’ questions between the pipes and a starting role in AHL Bakersfield would help provide him with a long-term path back to the NHL. So far, that hasn’t been the case. His .856 SV% in 11 games is the worst in the league by 15 percentage points among netminders with at least 10 games, and he’s the only one of the group with a GAA above four (4.04).

He’s actually recorded fewer starts than fellow veteran Matt Tomkins in Bakersfield as a result. While Tomkins has a far superior .893 SV% and 3.30 GAA in 15 showings, it’ll be the theoretically higher-ceiling and more experienced Ingram getting the call to serve as Pickard’s backup for the time being while Jarry works toward a return.

Image courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images.

Oilers’ Tristan Jarry Leaves With Injury

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Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry exited Thursday night’s game against the Boston Bruins with an apparent lower-body injury, after stretching across his crease to make a save. The Oilers leaned on backup Calvin Pickard to carry them to the eventual win, while emergency backup goaltender Jason San Antonio suited up to take Edmonton’s bench. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch had no update on Jarry’s injury after the game, other than to say that the team isn’t yet sure how serious it is, per Sportsnet’s Gene Principe.

San Antonio’s last full season of organized hockey was all the way back in 2013-14, when he played his third and final year for Bryant University’s ACHA Division-II team. He won two Rhode Island high school state championships during his four-year tenure at Mount St. Charles Academy.

Pickard made 12 saves on 12 shots in 24 minutes of action. His performance helped Edmonton hold onto a lead that they established while Jarry was in net. The spotlight performance will boost Pickard’s numbers after a measly start to the year. He had a 3-4-2 record and .851 save percentage headed into Thursday night’s game. That was the lowest save percentage of any goaltender with at least 10 starts this season. He could have a chance to really fortify his stat line, should Jarry be forced to miss multiple games.

Edmonton will certainly hope that isn’t the case, though. Jarry joined the team less than a week ago alongside winger Samuel Poulin in a trade that sent Stuart Skinner, Brett Kulak, and a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jarry won both of his first two games with the Oilers – though he did allow seven goals on 58 shots (.880 Sv%). The 30-year-old, former Stanley Cup champion posted nine wins and a .909 Sv% in 14 games with the Penguins prior to the trade. He will be in line for a major role in Edmonton whenever he’s back to full health.

These Pending UFAs Have Increased Their Stock

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The 2026 UFA class had been highly anticipated for quite some time free agency even opened this year. That excitement only grew through July and August as many potential UFAs didn’t sign extensions with their current clubs. However, that feeling was quickly dampened in the fall as players like Kirill Kaprizov, Connor McDavid, and Jack Eichel began signing new contracts, taking the energy out of the 2026 free-agent frenzy. While many stars have signed new deals, a noticeable group of talented players is still set to hit the open market on July 1, 2026, with some having significantly boosted their stock after a strong start to the season.

Jack Roslovic has encountered two difficult situations in the UFA market, with the first ending in him signing a one-year, $2.8MM deal with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024. His second attempt this past summer saw him join the Oilers for one year at $1.5MM. This year’s outcome was quite unexpected, given that Roslovic played well last season with 22 goals for Carolina, yet a multi-year deal that suited him never materialized. Roslovic was not alone this summer; defenseman Matt Grzelcyk also couldn’t secure a multi-year contract that met his expectations, despite having a career-best season last year in Pittsburgh.

This summer, however, Roslovic seems to be positioning himself for a multi-year deal that has eluded him. Injuries could affect his market value, but through 23 games in Edmonton this season, the 28-year-old has scored 10 goals and added eight assists. He’s also averaging over three more minutes of ice time per game compared to his career average. These impressive stats could spark a bidding war for his services if he stays healthy and maintains his current level of performance for the remainder of the season.

Nick Schmaltz is another forward whose performance this season has increased his value. The 29-year-old has 30 points (12 goals and 18 assists) in 34 games, and he will likely exceed his current $5.85MM cap hit when he signs his next contract next summer. Schmaltz’s impending free agency puts the Utah Mammoth in a tough spot, as Schmaltz has recorded back-to-back 60+ point seasons and is on track to do so again, which could raise his next cap hit to around $9MM annually.

The Mammoth might not want to commit to that kind of deal for Schmaltz, which means they will either trade him before the trade deadline or let him walk for nothing at the end of the year. Utah reportedly held trade talks for Schmaltz last summer, and it doesn’t seem likely that a deal will be finalized soon, meaning Schmaltz might enter the open market at the best possible time.

Another forward whose future remains uncertain is Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres. Tuch has scored 11 goals and 17 assists in 31 games and initiated contract talks at the beginning of the season, which puts the Sabres in a difficult position. The Sabres find themselves in a familiar spot at the bottom of the standings, and while Tuch has done his part, the team appears to be heading nowhere. If Tuch continues at his current pace, his value will only increase, which might be what the Sabres want if they plan to trade the Syracuse, New York native.

Two veterans nearing the end of their careers are Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers. Both entered this season with significant questions about their futures, and so far they’ve performed well, raising even more questions about what lies ahead for them.

Evgeni Malkin seems to have no interest in playing anywhere in the NHL other than Pittsburgh. This could lead to some interesting contract negotiations after the season if he maintains his current level of play. Malkin is in the final season of a four-year, $24.4MM contract he signed in the summer of 2022. Many believed last summer that the 2025-26 season could be Malkin’s last in the NHL and possibly his final season as a player at all. However, with the 39-year-old experiencing a significant resurgence this season with eight goals and 21 assists in 26 games, there’s a chance he continues playing, especially if Pittsburgh remains competitive and has a role for him moving forward. Nobody could have predicted that the Penguins would start the season as they have. With more young players emerging and an incredible amount of cap space next summer, the short-term future for Pittsburgh actually looks quite promising. It seemed unlikely that Malkin would receive a contract offer from Pittsburgh next summer, but now it seems like a real possibility he returns, assuming he can maintain his current work rate.

For Panarin, it’s not so much his play this season that has raised his profile, but rather the better options being taken off the table next summer. With many of the top pending UFAs now tied up in extensions, Panarin has risen on the list as one of the best offensive options available. The 34-year-old, for his part, remains a point-per-game player with 11 goals and 22 assists in 33 games, which should attract a healthy market despite his age by NHL standards. AFP Analytics is projecting a four-year, $41MM deal for Panarin, which, considering market conditions and his performance, looks pretty feasible.

On defense, arguably the top available player is Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. Andersson had a tough year last season but has bounced back in 2025-26, which should give him a strong market if and when he hits free agency. The Flames have started poorly this year, opening up the possibility that Andersson becomes a key trade piece before the NHL Trade Deadline, giving him a chance to play meaningful hockey in the spring if he joins a contender. The 29-year-old has been used in more defensive roles this season but has still managed 22 points in 33 games, after recording just 31 points in 81 games last season. If Andersson maintains this offensive level, his cap hit could rise closer to $9MM a season on his next contract, likely the last major deal of his career. Some teams might hesitate because of his less successful past seasons, but for now, Andersson is hitting his stride at just the right moment.

A couple of honorable mentions to round things out include forwards Victor Olofsson, Jaden Schwartz, and Kiefer Sherwood. Olofsson signed his second straight one-year “prove it” contract this summer, signing with the Colorado Avalanche for a $1.575MM AAV. Since then, Olofsson has been a steady performer for the Avalanche, recording seven goals and 12 assists in 32 games. AFP Analytics projects a three-year deal at $3.41MM per year, which would be a nice bump for the 30-year-old.

A year ago, Schwartz looked like a player who would need to accept a significant pay cut when his current contract ends. The 33-year-old is currently earning a $5.5MM AAV in the final year of a five-year deal. After scoring 49 points last season, Schwartz is on pace for a 65-point season this year, which would be a career best. Considering that level of production, AFP is predicting a two-year deal worth just under $10.8MM, which would be a slight decrease from his next contract but not the huge drop expected a year ago.

Sherwood has become a bit of a goal scorer since joining the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 2024 as a free agent. He is on track to surpass 20 goals for the first time in his NHL career (after posting 19 a year ago), and the timing could not be better since he is expected to hit the open market next summer. His lack of long-term NHL experience may somewhat limit Sherwood’s market value, as he was a late bloomer, becoming a full-time NHLer at the age of 28. He has just one season with more than thirty points (last year), but if he can do that again, he should still attract a team willing to offer a multi-year deal at an AAV that might surprise some people.

Oilers Recall Quinn Hutson

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The Oilers announced they’ve recalled winger Quinn Hutson from AHL Bakersfield. After making his NHL debut late last season, the 23-year-old is expected to make his 2025-26 debut tomorrow night against the Penguins. Edmonton already had an open roster spot, so no corresponding move is required.

Hutson, the older brother of star Canadiens defender Lane Hutson and Capitals prospect Cole, went undrafted in 2020 after spending his draft year in an under-18 travel league, multiple steps below major junior hockey. He spent the following two seasons with USHL Muskegon, recording well over a point per game, before beginning his collegiate career as a 20-year-old with Boston University in 2022.

It was there, teaming up with his brothers, where the 5’10” winger put himself on the map. He immediately slotted in as a top-six piece for the Terriers before an outright eruption in his junior year in 2024-25, leading the team with 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists) in 38 games. While that was only enough to get him Second Team All-Star honors from the Hockey East conference, it squarely put him on the map in terms of landing an NHL deal.

Edmonton won the sweepstakes, inking Hutson to a two-year, entry-level deal in April. It began immediately, permitting him to skate in two regular-season games for the Oilers down the stretch. However, since he wasn’t on their reserve list at the trade deadline, he wasn’t eligible to suit up for them in the playoffs.

He was viewed as a legitimate candidate to make a push for a roster spot in training camp, but the Oilers’ addition of Isaac Howard to their prospect pool and depth spots being taken up by free-agent pickups Curtis Lazar and David Tomasek iced him out of a spot. That likely ended up being a blessing in disguise. Hutson has dominated the minor-league circuit as a first-year pro. He leads Bakersfield and is fourth in AHL scoring with a 16-12–28 line in 24 games. He’s been particularly hot as of late, with 10 of those goals coming in his last 10 outings.

The Oilers hope to take advantage of Hutson’s momentum and use him to help jumpstart what’s been a woeful performance from their secondary offense. Just four players – Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Connor McDavid, and the injured Jack Roslovic – have combined for 47% of Edmonton’s total goal output this season. They’re still third in the league overall at 3.33 goals per game, but they need a boost from lower in their lineup as those players’ shooting percentages, all floating near 20%, inevitably cool off.

How much head coach Kris Knoblauch uses Hutson will likely be the deciding factor in how long he stays up. His usage of Edmonton’s younger talent – viewed as important pieces to help shoulder the loss of multiple veterans to free agency last summer – has been a point of contention. Howard averaged just 9:30 of ice time per game to begin the season before being sent to Bakersfield. Tomasek, an elder rookie at age 29 but coming off a Swedish Hockey League scoring title, has averaged under 11 minutes per game. The only under-25 name to make a dent in the Oilers’ top nine has been Matthew Savoie as of late, now averaging north of 14 minutes per game on the year with 11 points in 33 games to show for it.

AHL Bakersfield Acquires Tyson Feist

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More information rolls in regarding the Vancouver Canucks’ trade negotiations involving defenseman Quinn Hughes. We now know that several teams were scared of parting with significant value due to the perception that Hughes is far from a guarantee to sign a long-term extension.

According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Hughes is keeping an “open mind” when it comes to re-upping with Minnesota on July 1st, 2026. Russo noted that Hughes believes the Wild have “an amazing core.” He also shared that Hughes is happy with how close the team is to Michigan, and for being the organization that actually stepped up to get him, regardless of his perceived hesitancy to sign an extension.

Now, unlike other teams, the Wild have more than six months to convince Hughes to sign immediately when eligible, and even longer if both sides are comfortable with him entering the 2026-27 season as a pending unrestricted free agent. They got off to a good start last night, beating the Boston Bruins by four goals, with Hughes scoring his first goal with the team in the third period.

Additional morning notes:

  • Likely because they’ve added forward Samuel Poulin to their AHL roster, the Bakersfield Condors connected with the Rockford IceHogs on an AHL trade yesterday. According to an announcement from Rockford, the Condors have traded forward Rem Pitlick to the IceHogs for defenseman Tyson Feist. Rem, cousin of Tyler Pitlick, is a veteran of 132 NHL contests, scoring 21 goals and 54 points. Meanwhile, Feist has only played in the ECHL this season, scoring one goal and seven points in 14 games for the Indy Fuel.
  • Back in Minnesota, there were a few negatives that came from last night’s contest. Both defenseman David Jiříček and forward Marcus Johansson left yesterday’s game with lower-body injuries. According to Joe Smith of The Athletic, the Wild didn’t offer any updates for either player during the post-game media availability. Minnesota doesn’t play again until tomorrow, so more information should be provided before then.

Edmonton Oilers Recall Riley Stillman

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After acquiring netminder Tristan Jarry and defenseman Spencer Stastney earlier today while moving out Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak, it was likely the Edmonton Oilers were going to have to make an additional roster move for depth purposes. Having done that, the Oilers announced they’ve recalled defenseman Riley Stillman from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

Even after today’s moves, Edmonton had a pair of open spots on their active roster, meaning no additional transactions were necessary. If Stastney is unable to get to Toronto by tomorrow afternoon, Stillman will draw into the lineup as the Oilers’ sixth defenseman. Still, with an upcoming five-game road trip on the schedule, it wouldn’t be surprising if Stillman stayed on the roster even when Stastney draws into the lineup.

Stillman, 27, is in his first year with the Oilers organization after signing a two-year, two-way contract this past offseason. He’s spent the entirety of his time up to this point with AHL Bakersfield, scoring two goals and seven points in 22 games, tied for second on the team in scoring among defensemen.

His last playing time in the NHL came with the Carolina Hurricanes, dressing in five games over the 2024-25 NHL season. Still, it wasn’t all that long ago that Stillman was a consistent bottom-pairing defenseman for the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, and Buffalo Sabres.

From 2021 to 2023, Stillman appeared in 102 games combined between the three clubs, scoring three goals and 20 points with a -21 rating, averaging 14:51 of ice time. His career line stands at four goals and 26 points in 163 NHL appearances.

Oilers Working To Acquire Tristan Jarry, Spencer Stastney

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9:45 a.m.: All three teams have confirmed the trades. The Penguins confirmed that the draft pick acquired from the Oilers will be Edmonton’s 2029 second-round pick. No salary was retained in either deal.

9:02 a.m.: The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly close to making a pair of significant trades today. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Oilers are working to acquire netminder Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins and defenseman Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators. Shortly thereafter, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun confirmed that Jarry is heading to Edmonton.

Edmonton’s interest in Jarry has been well-known for the last few weeks. A day before American Thanksgiving, Weekes reported that Jarry had been generating trade interest from around the league and that the Oilers were far and away the most interested — for good reason. Given the tight salary cap situation for the Oilers, it’s likely that trade conversations between Edmonton and Pittsburgh have been going on for the last several weeks.

After playing relatively well for the Oilers throughout their first run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, Edmonton returned to the Cup Final last season despite Skinner’s performance. He didn’t play in all the potential games throughout last year’s push, but he finished with a .889 SV% in 15 contests, including a more than disappointing .861 SV% in five games against the Florida Panthers.

The situation has worsened this season, and obviously reached a boiling point for the Oilers’ front office. Through Edmonton’s first 33 games, the duo of Skinner and Calvin Pickard has combined for a .879 SV%. There was no help available via recall either, as third-string netminder Connor Ingram owns a .868 mark with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

If Jarry continues his current resurgence, the Oilers should have some newfound stability in the crease. In 13 starts this season, Jarry has a 9-3-1 record with a .909 SV% and 2.66 GAA. According to MoneyPuck, for netminders that have played in 10 or more games, Jarry is ranked 22nd in the league for Goals Saved Above Expected this season. He’s by no means the best netminder in the league this season, though he’s performing much better than Skinner and Pickard, who are ranked 32nd and 52nd, respectively.

Still, Jarry has been volatile in his own right. Last season, in what was the worst performance of his professional career, Jarry finished with a .892 SV% and 3.12 GAA, ranking 33rd in GSAx. If he reverts to that form as he finishes out the remaining three years of his five-year, $28.66MM contract, the Oilers will be in a world of trouble.

At any rate, while they acquired a pair of pending unrestricted free agents in Skinner and Kulak, it’s nothing but a win for the Penguins to receive a second-round pick for Jarry’s services. One year ago, Pittsburgh placed Jarry on the waiver wire, meaning the Oilers could have had him for free had they been able to make the money work. The fact that the Penguins were able to get actual assets for Jarry a year later is a testament to their patience.

Meanwhile, the Oilers have swapped Kulak’s $2.75MM cap hit with Stastney’s $825K. Despite finishing with the highest point production of his career last season, Kulak has struggled through the first few months of the 2025-26 campaign.

Registering only two assists in 31 games, it became apparent that Kulak’s time with the Oilers may be coming to an end. Typically reliable on the defensive side of the puck, Kulak’s 87.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength was troubling considering that he had never finished with lower than an 89.0% mark throughout his 12-year career.

Lastly, as a part of the Jarry trade, the Penguins have finally moved on from Poulin. The 24-year-old had appeared in a few games for the Penguins this season, but failed to do much with his opportunity despite being given middle-six minutes. Still, he’s been on a tear in the AHL, scoring nine goals and 20 points in 22 games. He’ll likely report directly to the Oilers, considering the number of injuries they’ve had to their depth forwards this season.

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Oilers Recall Max Jones, Place Clattenburg, Roslovic On IR, Walman To LTIR

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Earlier today the Edmonton Oilers announced that Max Jones has been recalled from AHL Bakersfield, while fellow forwards Connor Clattenburg and Jack Roslovic have been placed on injured reserve. Finally, as was speculated yesterday, defenseman Jake Walman has landed on long-term injured reserve. The moves come in advance of tonight’s game versus Detroit. 

Jones, a familiar face to Anaheim fans, was a first round pick by the Ducks in 2016. Now 27, he was once a potential top-six power forward, but was never able to pan out. Now an AHLer, Jones has a career high of 19 points at the NHL level, in 284 games so far. Injuries were a huge factor in his stunted development, especially as the Michigan native suffered a torn pectoral in 2021, which was a crucial year to prove himself in Anaheim. 

After a stop in Boston, Jones made his way to Edmonton as an add-in from the Trent Frederic trade. He skated in 19 games as an Oiler last season, but has spent all of 2025-26 in the AHL so far. Jones has just seven points in 17 games with the Condors, but with 49 penalty minutes, he is trying to lean more into a grinder role at this point. 

Edmonton has brought in other former first rounders who have been solid role players, such as Kasperi Kapanen and Vasily Podkolzin, and Jones may have an opportunity with the team’s numerous injuries, although he is not expected to play tonight. 

Roslovic got off to a dynamite start to his Oilers tenure with 18 points in 23 games, prior to going down in late November. He is listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury, and may have his sights on a return by the New Year. 

Clattenburg, just 20, brought needed energy in his first five NHL games. He has missed the team’s last two contests after an apparent eye injury. With just two points in the AHL this season, the winger brings limited skill, but at 6’2” he could be an eventual fixture on the Oilers’ fourth line, proving to be a nice find in the fifth round of the 2024 draft. 

The headline of long-term injured reserve for Walman may cause concern, but the main motivation for such a designation is likely salary cap motivated. With his $3.4MM off the books for now, Edmonton can finally carry a full roster as they soon head off for a five-game road trip. The defenseman has dealt with multiple injuries after inking a seven-year extension at the start of the season. As he has already missed the last seven, Walman only has to miss three more games to meet the LTIR requirements. Similar to Roslovic, his ailment is also unknown, but a return before January would be a surprise. 

Currently holding the second Wild Card spot, Edmonton is thankful to have most of their marquee talent healthy, however, their depth will be put to the test, a common theme throughout much of the McDavid/Draisaitl era in which the team has had a top-heavy construction. Their road trip ahead could be a turning point if the team can return to their true potential, and push for another deep run in the spring. 

Oilers Likely To Move Jake Walman To LTIR

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The Oilers have been dealing with a tight salary cap situation all season long, primarily using LTIR in order to keep cap-compliant.  At the moment, they have two forwards on there in Kasperi Kapanen and Noah Philp but even with that, they are only able to afford to carry a minimum-sized roster of 12 forwards, six defensemen, and two goalies.

That could soon be changing, however.  Jason Gregor of Sports 1440 indicates (Twitter link) that the Oilers will likely move defenseman Jake Walman to LTIR over the next couple of days.  In doing so, they’ll add his $3.4MM AAV to their LTIR pool which will be enough to call up an extra forward and defenseman as they get set to embark on a five-game road trip that begins on Saturday in Toronto.

Walman is in his first full season with Edmonton after being acquired from San Jose at the trade deadline back in March.  He made a big impact after joining the team and that has carried over to this season, at least when he’s healthy enough to be in the lineup.  Through 17 games, Walman has three goals and seven assists along with 31 blocked shots while averaging a little over 20 minutes a night of playing time.  His early performance with the Oilers earned him a seven-year, $49MM extension back in October.

Walman missed five games with an undisclosed injury earlier in the season and has been out with another undisclosed injury since leaving Edmonton’s game on November 20th.  If the Oilers do indeed move Walman to LTIR, they will be able to backdate the placement to that time with the 10-game, 24-day requirements being calculated from there.  Considering he’s already missed seven games, this is a safe procedural move that would make a lot of sense for the Oilers to make.

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