The Edmonton Oilers are wasting little time hitting the market for reinforcements after seeing several forwards go down with injuries to start the 2026-27 season.
Edmonton has begun poking around on the trade front with Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jason Dickinson, Matt Savoie and Mattias Janmark all currently sidelined, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
"(The Oilers) have a lot of D and some forward injuries. They have explored a lateral trade — maybe a defenceman for a forward," Friedman said during the Saturday Headlines segment of Saturday Night Hockey. "Their forwards are not out long-term, so it's not like they're panicked to do it. But if there is a lateral D for forward move they can make with their depth players, they will look at it."
Of Edmonton's injured forward group, only Savoie is on long-term injured reserve, while Nugent-Hopkins, Janmark and Dickinson are just on regular IR.
Nugent-Hopkins' timeline for a return from his lower-body issue is currently unclear, and Hyman is expected to be out for approximately two weeks with his undisclosed injury.
It has all forced the Oilers to shake up their alignment up front, inserting Josh Samanski and Max Jones into their lineup.
Despite the injuries, Edmonton was able to fill the scoresheet in its first two games against the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers dropped their opener 6-5 in overtime before claiming a wild 9-7 win two nights later.
