Oilers analyst names two elite prospects as trade targets

Both players are potentially available for trade as Howard committed to a fourth year for Michgan State University which will make him an unrestricted free agent in 2026 and Nemec have expressed that he is unhappy with New Jersey and may request a trade for better options.

It's no secret to many Oilers fans and pundits around the league that the team is the oldest on average and needs to get younger fast.

The Oilers have been pushing their window to win for the past three years and managed to get to the Stanley Cup finals 2 years in a row but unfortunately have not been able to go over the top and win their sixth cup.

It will come to a point where the Oilers will need to make decisions on how to get younger and to help restock the cupboard of youth and talent.

Howard, who is a 21-year-old left winger who stands at 5 foot 11 and 190 lbs was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, first round 31st overall.

According twoeliteprospects.com, Howard is an exceptional skater and has good body positioning and can back check. He also holds a scoring touch as he was able to play 37 games last year, scoring 26 goals with 26 assists for 52 points and had 10 penalty minutes was a + 19.

Nemec meanwhile has been unhappy with New Jersey throughout the course of this season and feels that he is far better and would get a better opportunity somewhere else which has the Devils uneasy an unwilling to trade him.

Adding a player like Nemec or Howard or both would be beneficial for the Oilers as the team needs more depth in their younger players an also help control costs.

Many of the Oilers players are heading to the wrong side of 30 as hockey players and the declines will begin with their play so general manager Stan Bowman will have no choice but to begin looking at trades and players like Nemec and Howard are exactly who he's looking for.

The likelihood of these trades would begin on June 27th when the NHL is set to start its entry draft and trades of this magnitude tend to happen at the draft as more teams are available and better options with no salary cap in the way will help.