Report: Oilers targeting top-9 forwards ahead of deadline
The Edmonton Oilers are targeting top-nine forwards to acquire ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reports.
No deals are imminent, and any potential trade is likely to occur after the Olympic break concludes in late February, LeBrun adds.
The Oilers' top players have been highly productive this season - captain Connor McDavid leads the NHL with 85 points in 51 games - but depth scoring is a concern for the back-to-back Western Conference champions.
Andrew Mangiapane and Isaac Howard, two players brought in over the offseason to provide extra offense, have a combined 17 points on the year. Trent Frederic, whom Edmonton acquired before last year's deadline and subsequently signed to an eight-year extension, has only three points in 49 games this season.
The Oilers currently have just over $270K in cap space, according to PuckPedia, so they'll need to move money out to facilitate a trade.
Edmonton sits second in the Pacific Division, two points behind the Vegas Golden Knights with three extra games played.