For what feels like the first time in a long time, the Edmonton Oilers will enter a season with significant financial flexibility.

On Aug. 7, general manager Stan Bowman joined Oilers Now, where he made it clear that despite his offseason moves, he doesn’t expect the current roster to be the finished product.

Bowman stated that he was comfortable with their current goaltending and defence situations, noting that if the Oilers do add, it would likely be a top-six to top-nine forward.

If Edmonton does pursue that upgrade, recent trades provide a sense of what it would cost.

A high-end top-six forward in Jordan Kyrou fetched Connor McMichael, a prospect, and a first-round pick. On the other hand, an older top-nine forward, Blake Coleman, fetched Jake Middleton and second-, third-, and fourth-round picks.

The price depends on the player’s calibre and situation, but a meaningful upgrade will require valuable assets to go the other way.

Cap space may no longer be the obstacle, but that raises another question: Does Edmonton have the trade assets to take advantage of it?

In their pursuit of a Stanley Cup, the Oilers haven’t exactly been stockpiling their draft picks.

In the upcoming 2027 draft, they are already without their first-round (top-12 protected), third-round, and fourth-round picks due to prior trades to upgrade their roster.

While the Oilers do have their 2028 first-round pick, they have already moved their ’28 and ’29 second-round picks.

Trading draft picks isn’t exactly a new trend for the organization, as over the past four drafts, the team has selected in the first round just once.

In total, the Oilers own just three picks in the first three rounds of the 2027 and 2028 drafts: ’27 second, ’28 first, ’28 third.

If the Oilers wanted to make a major acquisition without further depleting their draft capital, their prospect pool could be another avenue. For potential Oilers trade partners, conversations would centre around Isaac Howard.

After struggling to establish himself at the NHL level last season, the 22-year-old winger was dominant in the AHL, racking up 24 goals and 50 points in just 47 games. He is easily Edmonton’s best prospect and has genuine top-six upside, both of which are reasons the Oilers should be hesitant to move him.

I’d imagine Howard gets every chance to prove himself in the Oilers’ top-nine to start the season, potentially filling this need internally. While it wouldn’t be ideal to part ways with the Hobey Baker winner, you have to give value to get value, and he could still carry the value of a late first-rounder.

After Howard, the Oilers’ prospect pool becomes considerably less enticing.

While Quinn Hutson was tied for ninth in AHL scoring last year, at 24 years old he doesn’t quite hold the value of traditional high-end prospects. They do have some C-tier prospects, such as Tommy Lafrenière and Rūdolfs Bērzkalns, but none are premium trade chips.

With limited trade pieces in draft picks and their prospect pool, the Oilers might have to get creative if they are serious about putting a package together for a significant forward upgrade.

Matt Savoie is the obvious place to start, although he should be virtually untouchable.

At just 22 years old, he is coming off a 37-point season, in which he played almost exclusively in Edmonton’s top-six and has become one of their most reliable penalty killers. Bowman’s willingness to move on from Savoie should be zero unless a bona fide star becomes available.

Josh Samanski, however, could be an interesting name to watch.

In his first year in North America, the 24-year-old Olympian impressed enough in the AHL to get the call-up to the Oilers for the back half of the season and into the playoffs.

While his four points in 24 NHL games certainly aren’t eye-popping, he showed flashes of his speed and defensive responsibility. Samanski obviously won’t headline a blockbuster trade, but the centre is an intriguing name to watch as he continues to develop.

After acquiring both Shakir Mukhamadullin and Ryan Shea, the Oilers now have eight defencemen on their roster who played significant NHL games in 2025-26. Bowman is on the record stating he doesn’t plan to carry 8 D, which would lead me to believe that either Spencer Stastney or Ty Emberson would be available.

Neither would carry significant value, but either could be a decent secondary piece in a larger deal.

Outside of the virtually untouchable Matt Savoie, the Oilers’ most valuable trade assets are Isaac Howard, the ’28 first-round pick, and the ’27 second-round.

With already depleted draft capital and a thin prospect pool, the price of acquiring a high-end top-six forward may simply be too steep. A middle-six winger appears far more realistic, unless Bowman is willing to part with multiple premium assets.

At the end of the day, with McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard in their primes, nobody would be shocked if more picks or prospects were sacrificed to help this team get over the hump.

Bowman has the cap space for a big splash.

But how much of the future is he willing to spend to make it happen?

LeaseBusters is Canada’s premier lease takeover marketplace, helping drivers get out of their current vehicle leases without costly penalties or negative equity. Instead of paying thousands to break a lease, sellers connect with qualified buyers ready to take it over—saving money and avoiding financial stress. Buyers benefit from shorter-term commitments and often better monthly payments, while dealerships retain a replacement customer and leasing companies keep contracts active. It’s a smarter, more efficient solution for everyone involved. Four parties, four wins—only with LeaseBusters. For more information, check out www.LeaseBusters.com.