“One of the unwritten stories of this Oilers lead-up to the trade deadline: What happens if Evander Kane isn’t going to remain on LTIR for the remainder of the regular season? That means Edmonton will have very limited cap space to deal from, likely creating a dollar-in, dollar-out scenario that used to be GM Ken Holland’s tag line. Short of moving a more established (expensive) roster player, such as Jeff Skinner or Viktor Arvidsson, both of whom have full ‘no-trade’ blocking capability, it will be difficult to add a true game-changer in that case.

The Oilers have been looking for a fourth-line center all season long, preferably one that would provide a little speed. But McCarron would bring an entirely different element. He’s 6-foot-6, he skates well for a big man, and he would add a dash of truculence to the Oilers’ lineup not seen since Zack Kassian. In this deal, I chose to move Edmonton’s own second-round pick in 2026 as opposed to the second-rounder from the Blues this season that came from the offer sheets. McCarron’s production isn’t eye-popping by any stretch, but he’s the rare bottom of the lineup player who actually becomes a little more valuable in the postseason.”