Oilers linked to 2 former Maple Leafs on tryout contracts this season

The Oilers already have a surplus of depth forwards that could lead to another trade before training camp, but they could certainly use more toughness in their bottom six - and help with their goaltending.

The 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast, a source that's accurately broken Oilers news in the past, has reported that Edmonton is looking at bringing in 3 new players on tryout deals, with 2 forwards and 1 goaltender.

Analysts at NHL Trade Talk have identified 4 players as the leading candidates: Max Pacioretty, Klim Kostin, Ilya Samsonov, and Alexander Georgiev.

Pacioretty and Kostin both bring very different skill sets, but both players could provide immense value in the Oilers bottom six.

Pacioretty still has scoring talent left at 36 years old and had a quality showing with the Maple Leafs last season, posting 8 points in 11 playoff games. On the other hand, Klim Kostin is more of an enforcer forward who could be a much needed physical presence - and he's had success in Edmonton before.

In goal, Ilya Samsonov seems to be the best bet for a tryout contract. Still young at 28 years old, Samsonov has posted quality results as recently as 2022-23 where he posted a .919 save percentage in 42 games. Georgiev is slightly older with more NHL experience, but has been far below average for 3 seasons now.

If the Oilers could bring in any of these 4 players though, it would provide valuable organizational depth to go through the season, and bring needed skillsets to the team.