The Edmonton Oilers are a team that will have sky high expectations placed on them this season. The 2 time defending Stanley Cup finalists cannot afford to come up short again as they enter the final year of Connor McDavid’s current contract.
As a result, roster changes being made in season should not be a surprise to see in Edmonton as there will be low tolerance for standards not being met this year by Oilers GM Stan Bowman.
Nestor Quixtan of Heavy Sports has targeted 3 Oilers players to watch this season as potential trade block options moving forward in what will be a high pressure environment in Alberta.
3 possible Edmonton trade pieces
Kasperi Kapanen
Kapenen signed a 1 year extension to remain an Oiler this summer after a solid playoff run in which he contributed timely goals in a secondary role. The question is will he be able to provide that same production in what will be his first full season in Edmonton. He will have 1 year to prove himself, any depth piece will only have so much security in Oil country.
Vasily Podkolzin
The Oilers have given the former Canuck a chance to shine in a new destination. Podkolzin had a solid opening year in Edmonton, stepping it up in the postseason similar to Kapanen. With that said he has 1 year remaining on his 2 year deal. He will need to keep progressing to assert himself on this Edmonton squad moving forward. He cannot afford to take a step back as was the case in Vancouver.
Stuart Skinner
The least surprising person on the list is Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner. There have been conflicting reports all summer in regards to his future in Edmonton. But with 1 year left on his contract, Skinner will have to find more consistency this year if he is to remain the starter for Oilers nation.
