Insider Connects Edmonton Oilers to Three Defenceman to Acquire in Trade

According to recent reports, General Manager Stan Bowman is aggressively pursuing a trade at the moment to improve the blue line. Oilers insider Jim Matheson chimed in with three potential candidates that could be available for trade now: Connor Murphy, Ivan Provorov, and Cam Fowler.

Connor Murphy is a 31 year old right shot defenceman currently in the second last year of his contract with the Blackhawks that pays him $4.4M, a contract signed by Stan Bowman in 2021. Murphy is 6'4, over 210 pounds, and uses his size to play a physical, defensive game. His offence is non-existent, but if the Oilers believe he can be a shut-down defender, he could be the best option.

The other two Defencemen are much higher profile players. The Columbus Blue Jackets are reportedly taking trade calls on defenceman Ivan Provorov. The 27 year old left shot defender has the highest pedigree has a 7th overall draft pick and some quality offensive seasons in the past. Provorov has come close to scoring 20 goals in his sophomore season, but not plays a reliable two way game and is relied upon to play well over 20 minutes a night. Also, Provorov comes at a very manageable cost of only $4.725M.

Recent reports have also suggested that the Anaheim Ducks are trying to move their veteran defender Cam Fowler. Drafted in the first round of 2010, Fowler has played all of his 983 career games with the Ducks. Fowler is more known for his puck-moving game, routinely putting up near 40 points on rebuilding teams. Like Provorov, Fowler is also relied on to play an average of 25 minutes a night.

In a season where the Oilers are gunning to get back to the Cup Final, they need to hit a home run when they trade for their defenceman. The right addition will hopefully settle the Oilers blue line concerns, and hopefully pair well with Darnell Nurse to alleviate his defensive mistakes. The Oilers will definitely make a move to acquire a defender, the only question is if they'll wait until the deadline, or strike sooner.