The Edmonton Oilers have only really “gone for it” at a trade deadline once in the Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl era.

They’ve made the playoffs every season since 2019-20, but often add depth pieces. In 2020, they acquired Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green, then Dmitry Kulikov in 2021. The next season saw them add Brett Kulak and Derick Brassard, helping them make the Conference Finals for the first time since 2006.

Before the 2024 trade deadline, the Oilers added Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick, and Troy Stecher, going all the way to the Stanley Cup final. They made the finals again in 2025, adding Trent Frederic, Max Jones, and Jake Walman before the deadline. This past season didn’t pan out well, but it was at no fault of Jason Dickinson, Connor Murphy, and Colton Dach.

All those moves, except for the Athanasiou and Green trades, were solid. But the lone time the Oilers added a big name ahead of the trade deadline was in 2023.

On Feb. 28, 2023, the Oilers sent defenceman Tyson Barrie, prospect Reid Schaefer, a 2023 first-rounder, and a 2024 fourth-rounder to the Nashville Predators for Mattias Ekholm and a 2024 sixth-rounder.

Since acquiring Ekholm, the veteran left-shot defenceman has been a staple of their top pairing, mainly playing with Evan Bouchard. Following the trade, Ekholm scored four goals and 14 points in 21 games to end 2022-23, giving him nine goals and 32 points in 68 games. That postseason saw the Swedish product add a goal and seven points in 12 games.

He proceeded to have a career-best season in 2023-24,........

© Oilers Nation