There are more than a few roster upgrades the Edmonton Oilers need to make to their lineup, but one of them is adding another top-six scoring winger, and the rumour mill is suggesting the Oilers have interest in Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett.

Hockey insider David Pagnotta, who regularly appears on “Oilersnation Everyday,” recently wrote that there are whispers the Oilers may be interested in Tippett, saying:

Tippett is an explosive skater who registered 51 points (27 goals, 24 assists) in 81 games with the Flyers in 2025-26 and has recorded 40 or more points in each of the last four seasons. Let’s take a look at everything he’d bring to the Oilers’ lineup.

Tippett is a former 10th-overall pick of the Florida Panthers from the 2017 NHL Draft and played 94 games with the Panthers before being traded, along with a first-round pick and a third-round pick, to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Claude Giroux, a couple of prospects, and a draft pick just before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline.

Tippett is 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, a right-shot from Peterborough, Ont., and along with that solid frame, as mentioned, comes his dynamic speed.

Last season, according to NHL EDGE data, Tippett reached a max skating speed of 23.97 MPH, ranking in the 99th percentile in the NHL. For comparison, Connor McDavid’s max skating speed last season was clocked at 24.61 MPH, meaning Tippett’s top speed was just a shade below the Oilers’ captain. That speed comparison alone has me thinking about the kind of magic those two speedsters could create together.

Additionally, his 327 speed bursts between 20–22 MPH and 61 bursts above 22 MPH both rank in the 99th percentile in the league, with NHL.com describing his skating as “game-breaking.”

Tippett also has a hard shot, with his 93.15 MPH shot clocked last season ranking in the 93rd percentile in the NHL. Stylistically, his speed allows him to both create and finish plays, but he also has a very quick release and can score from distance, with Jeff Marek describing Tippett in his draft year as “the purest sniper in the draft. A ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ player.” Moreover, his shot volume last season speaks to that, as he led the Flyers with 221 shots, which ranked 30th among forwards in the NHL.

Additionally, he produces at five-on-five, recording 37 of his 51 points there last season.

Also, Tippett had strong underlying analytics at five-on-five last season, according to Natural Stat Trick. The 27-year-old posted a 51.03 shots-for percentage (SF%), 53.97 expected goals-for percentage (xGF%), a 52.60 scoring chances-for percentage (SCF%), and a 55.92 high-danger chances-for percentage (HDCF%) in 2025-26 with the Flyers.

Not to mention, the winger can play on the penalty kill, though he wasn’t a regular, playing 34:24 shorthanded minutes last season. That said, he uses his speed and size to his advantage and plays a physical game, throwing 166 hits last season, the second most on his team. Plus, NHL.com also noted that he was one of only four players in the NHL to score at least 25 goals and record at least 150 hits in 2025-26.

If the Flyers are in fact shopping Tippett, who, early in the 2025-26 campaign, was loosely linked in trade talks, the Oilers should, at the very least, kick tires to see what the asking price is, because I feel he’d be a good fit in Edmonton.

The Peterborough, ON native checks a lot of boxes of what the Oilers are looking for. He’s at the ideal age of 27 years old, produces at five-on-five, hits, plays on special teams, and with his speed, along with his ability to finish in-tight and score from distance, he looks like a perfect fit alongside one of the Oilers’ elite centremen in McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. As NHL_Sid recently wrote, Draisaitl meshes well with strong forecheckers, which Tippett appears to be.

Because Pagnotta mentioned there are only “whispers” of Tippett being on Edmonton’s radar, there’s no clear indication of what an asking price would be, though I can’t imagine it would come cheap.

For comparison, hockey columnist Bruce Garrioch recently stated that league executives have said that the asking price for St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou is believed to be a high-end player, a top prospect, and a first-round draft pick. That is likely a high-end ask, and since Kyrou has the higher offensive ceiling, Tippett’s asking price would likely come in lower.

That said, if the conversation from Edmonton’s end for Tippett starts with something around Isaac Howard and draft picks, that is something the Oilers should highly consider, as he is a player they know can make an immediate impact.

Tippett signed an eight-year, $49.6 million contract in Jan. 2024 with an average annual value (AAV) of $6.2 million per season, and by the time the deal is complete, he will still only be 33 years old, meaning it’s unlikely he’ll see a major drop-off in play near the tail end of the contract.

However, for the Oilers to even consider a trade, they would need to do some cap gymnastics. According to PuckPedia, the Oilers currently have just under $15 million in cap space, but, as Pagnotta also mentioned, they could create more depending on whether Darnell Nurse, who would have to waive his no-movement clause, is traded.

Overall, Tippett would add dynamic speed to the lineup, goal-scoring ability, and physicality, while also helping tighten up the Oilers’ top six, making him a solid addition if they can find the right deal without overpaying to acquire him.