3 defenseman trade options for Oilers if they miss out on Erik Karlsson

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NASHVILLE, TN – FEBRUARY 21: Mattias Ekholm #14 of the Nashville Predators controls the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during the first period at Bridgestone Arena on February 21, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

RD Mattias Ekholm to the Oilers?

Most of the Oilers fans want sexy names like Erik Karlsson, it will be good for the team if they can acquire a player of that calibre but the cap hit is huge. If Edmonton wants to shore up their defensive core, they can look to get Predators’ defenseman Mattias Ekholm. With Ekholm, the Oilers will be able to push struggling defenseman, Evan Bouchard down their lineup. Also, Ekholm can help ease up the heavy minutes that Darnell Nurse had been accumulating so far.

Although Ekholm holds a $6.5 cap hit that runs until 2025-2026, this dollar figure will be easier for Ken Holland to maneuver. A trade for Ekholm might look like this;

Reports are that the Predators are asking for at least two first-round picks for Ekholm, however, that might be too steep for many teams to reach, and they might be forced to bring their price down closer to the deadline. If that happens, Oilers can swoop in and get Ekholm, there will still be a difference in money switching, and depending on whether or not the Predators will be willing to retain some of the salary of Ekholm, some draft picks from the Oilers might be needed.

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