Forwards from Frank Seravalli’s trade target list the Edmonton Oilers could acquire

The Edmonton Oilers‘ offence has been more inconsistent than expected through the season’s first quarter. A big reason was the lack of production from Connor McDavid, who was recovering from an injury sustained earlier in the year.

That problem seems to have gone now, with McDavid looking like the best player in the world again. Leon Draisaitl is scoring from his office more consistently, too, with Zach Hyman and Evander Kane chipping almost every night.

However, the Oilers still need more depth scoring, and if they want to progress deep into the players, then it needs to be addressed.

Sam Gagner and Warren Foegele each have three goals while playing in the bottom six, and Derek Ryan has two. Unfortunately, the scoring doesn’t improve with one goal from Ryan McLeod and Mattias Janmark and zero from Adam Erne. Dylan Holloway scored once before his injury, too.

It’s a problem that needs to be fixed, and Frank Seravalli provided a few options on where to shop on his first trade targets list of the year.

Sean Monahan is #2 on the list for all the right reasons. He has a cheap cap hit of $1.985 million until the end of the season and has 13 points on the third line for the Montreal Canadiens. As much as we all love the potential of Ryan McLeod, Monahan would be an immediate upgrade in that 3C spot and on a cheaper deal. The problem is his injury history, as he played in only 25 games last season.

Alexandre Texier is only 24 years old and two years removed from an 11-goal season in only 36 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Last season, Texier played in Switzerland but has since returned to Columbus. He’s had a good season so far with seven points in 23 games and is well on pace for a career season. Texier would be an immediate upgrade in Edmonton’s bottom six and is in the final season of a $1.525 million AAV deal.

This idea feels like a pipe dream, but Elias Lindholm is everything the Oilers need from a third-line centreman. It’s the same situation as Chris Tanev; the only problem is that he plays for the Calgary Flames. Are the Flames really going to want to send their best player to Edmonton? It feels doubtful, but if you’re Ken Holland, you’ve got to push for the best player on the market because you know that every other top contender is calling.

The obvious answer to where to shop is Calgary. Lindholm would improve this team to another level. However, to be more realistic, Texier is a more likely option. His cap hit is manageable, and if it works out, you can probably get him on another team-friendly deal in the summer rather than resigning Warren Foegele.

If it’s not Texier, then a third-line centre should be what’s acquired. McLeod’s potential is good, but you need to see more production from him because one empty goal isn’t enough. Many times this season, they have experimented with him on the wing, and he looks comfortable.

Trading McLeod shouldn’t be entirely off the table if the right deal is there; however, moving Warren Foegele to improve your bottom six is the better player if a centre is coming in. IF the Oilers are clever with their cap and move Foegele out, you can then afford both Texier and Sean Monahan if a little cap is retained from either team.