It’s the best problem to have in the NHL, and also the worst: getting healthy. For the Edmonton Oilers, the looming return of key pieces like Jake Walman and Zach Hyman is fantastic news for their on-ice product, but it’s creating a massive headache for the front office. When healthy players return, roster spots must be cleared, and it looks like the music is about to stop for one of the defensemen.
As NHL insider Elliotte Friedman noted on his “32 Thoughts” podcast, the Oilers are currently carrying eight defensemen. You simply cannot sustain that number in a salary cap world, especially not when you need to activate players from IR. This isn’t just about a crowded press box; it’s about cap compliance and roster efficiency. A trade isn’t just possible; at this point, it’s a near certainty.
Analyzing the Three Most Likely Oilers Trade Candidates
When you look at the blue line, three names immediately jump out as the most likely candidates to be moved: Ty Emberson, Troy Stecher, and Alex Regula. Each presents a different scenario for GM Stan Bowman.
Regula is on a two-way contract, making him the easiest to move up and down. However, he’s also the least likely to solve the problem, as the team is probably looking to clear a one-way contract or a roster spot that another waiver-eligible player needs.
That leaves Stecher and Emberson. Troy Stecher is the classic veteran #7 defenseman on a cheap, one-way deal ($787,500). He provides reliable depth, but he’s also the most replaceable. A team looking for playoff insurance would gladly send a 7th-round pick to Edmonton to take him. He’d have to clear waivers to be sent down, and he wouldn’t make it. This is the simplest, cleanest move to solve the immediate logjam.
Who is the Odd Man Out?
The dark horse here is Ty Emberson. At a $1.3 million cap hit with another year left on his deal, he’s more than just a depth piece. Moving him would be less about the immediate crunch and more about future cap flexibility. Does he have more value on the market? Perhaps. But it also signals that management is higher on other internal options and wants that $1.3 million clear for next season.
My money is on Stecher being the one to go. It’s the path of least resistance, it gets the roster compliant, and it rewards a veteran by sending him somewhere he might get more ice time rather than burying him in the minors. The Edmonton Oilers have to make a move, and all signs point to the defense.
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