The Edmonton Oilers stumbled out of the gate, dropping their season opener to Calgary in a shootout. However, the team has rebounded with consecutive victories over Vancouver and the Rangers to steady the ship early.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue powering the offense despite ongoing uncertainty with the forward lines. Yet while the Oilers chase wins, analysts are already identifying which player Edmonton may need to sacrifice to stay cap compliant.
Which Oilers Player Are Analysts Targeting for a Trade?
The Oilers opened the season without injured forward Zach Hyman, who remains on injured reserve following a playoff injury. The acquisition of former Carolina center Jack Roslovic has provided depth, but his addition creates a financial puzzle the team must solve.
With Edmonton sitting $2.7 million over the salary cap, some analysts believe signing Roslovic means the Oilers will be forced to move Mattias Janmark. On the October 11 episode of Oilersnation Radio, hosts discussed how the franchise could navigate its cap constraints.
Analyst Tyler Yaremchuk expressed confidence in Edmonton’s front office. “The Oilers have kind of shown us that they’re a very smart cap team over the last number of years,” he said. “They’ve been very good at getting their numbers very close.”
However, Yaremchuk identified Janmark as the likely casualty to create space for both Hyman’s return and Roslovic’s roster spot. “2.8 million is what they would need to clear off the roster right now for when Hyman comes back, if they want to keep Roslovic around,” Yaremchuk explained.
“So, Curtis Lazar at 775K. So now we’re down to 2.1. That would be exactly one of Alex Regula or Troy Stecher and Janmark’s whole contract off the books.” Yaremchuk noted that Janmark has a 10-team no-trade clause, leaving 21 potential destinations.
“I could see a world where they already have a team that is like, ‘We’ll take them,’ because the math is perfect. Janmark, Stecher, and Lazar are cap compliant,” he said.
With Janmark excelling on the penalty kill and carrying just a $1.45 million cap hit, Yaremchuk believes multiple teams would welcome the addition. The move would allow Edmonton to retain both Hyman and Roslovic while giving another franchise a solid bottom-six winger.
For the Oilers, the math works perfectly to maintain their championship-caliber forward group while staying cap compliant. They noted the extra $450,000 on Janmark’s contract compared to other options could prove decisive in determining his fate.
Ultimately, Yaremchuk believes the decision comes down to mathematics rather than performance. Regardless of how well Janmark plays, his contract represents the most efficient path to achieving cap compliance while keeping both Hyman and Roslovic in the lineup.
