4 prospects the Oilers GM could target based on reporting from Bob Stauffer

During the intermission on Tuesday night's match between the Edmonton Oilers and the Ottawa Senators. Oilers insider Bob Stauffer made an interesting revelation, hinting at general manager Stan Bowman and his staff's plans later this year.

Since taking over, Bowman has done his best to supplement and improve the Oilers prospect pool by restocking the cupboard through savvy trades and free agent signings. He has added a number of key additions to the pipeline, notably adding 2025 Hobey Baker winner Ike Howard -- who happened to score his first career goal in the match against the Senators.

What Bob Stauffer revealed about the Oilers plans

In the Howard trade this summer, Bowman dealt 2024 first round pick, right-handed centre Sam O'Reilly to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Although this trade is seemingly a big win for the Oilers, there is no denying the potential that a player like O'Reilly has.

He plays one of, if not the most important forward positions while being a coveted and rare 'righty'. There is a premium put on players who are right handed due to the different opportunities it presents when entering the faceoff dot.

Understanding this, Stauffer is quoted as saying according to Kevin McCurdy "Don't be surprised if the Oilers pick up another 23-24 year old right-handed centre to replace Sam O'Reilly in their prospect pool in the next calendar year."

There is no indication who this could mean aside from fan speculation but I have found a few players that fit this description that could be targets. I looked mainly at NCAA free agents but also found players in Europe who may fit the bill.

4 prospects the Oilers could target

Looking at Bowman's track record, he is not going to leave any stone unturned in his search for prospects to add to his pool. It is one of the things he is credited with during his tenure as the Chicago Blackhawks GM and in his short time here, something that has carried over.

T.J. Hughes, University of Michigan (NCAA)

T.J. Hughes -- no relation to Jack, Luke, or Quinn -- has been one of the top players in the NCAA for the past few seasons and has generated plenty of NHL intrigue. He has been a prolific scorer across various levels in his career in the GOJHL, AJHL, and now NCAA. Capturing mutliple championships and personal accolades along the way.

Across four seasons, the 6'0 185lbs centre has 122 games played and has scored 50 goals, 80 assists for 130 points. He has been known for his offensive talents as a scorer and passer but has also been noted for his two-way proficiency.

He seems like the most obvious target but he will surely have plenty of suitors vying for his services come the spring. He is 23 and soon-to-be 24, making him a slightly older but also a potentially more refined option.

Jack Stockfish, College of the Holy Cross (NCAA)

Jack Stockfish is a player who has flown under the radar a bit, growing up in North Bay, Ontario and playing at a lesser known school. On the ice, he is hard to miss though coming in at 6'4 and 214lbs, the right-shot centre has been a solid producer at the NCAA level.

He just turned 23 and is now in his Junior year of college. He set career highs last year scoring 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points in 36 games. He is a good skater and has good hands for a player of his stature but also plays a power game. He could fit in well in a bottom-six or fourth line role at the NHL level, which is his likeliest projection, somewhere around a Noah Philp type.

Theodor Niederbach, Frolunda HC (SHL)

Originally drafted in the Second round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Theodor Niederbach has been developing in his home country of Sweden. The 23 year old is a slightly undersized right-handed centre at 5'11, 172lbs and hit career high point totals last year.

In 51 games he scored 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points with MoDo in the SHL. The Red Wings allowed his draft rights to expire in June 2024, allowing him to be signed as a free agent similar to Finnish forward Viljami Marjala that the Oilers signed this past offseason. He is a smart two-way centre with quick feet, nice hands, and a scoring touch.

He also displays a good work ethic according to Swedish writer Henrik Leman. He said "Theodor Niederbach has been hot in the opening of the SHL season. Yet he does extra after several practices. Maybe we should turn that around - is that why it's going so well?"

Danil Aimurzin, Severstal Cherepovets (KHL)

The 23 year old Danil Aimurzin has developed into a legitimate top-six centre in the KHL and has been on the NHL radar the last couple seasons as a free agent. His contract expires at the conclusion of the year and he will surely have plenty of interest, likely the Oilers amongst them.

Over the past two seasons with Severstal he has played 129 gamees, scoring 47 goals and 58 assists for 105 points, adding eight in 10 playoff games. He is 6'0 179lbs right-shot centre, he is not an incredibly flashy player but he possesses a good shot and some poise and intelligence.

He is a player who should fit into the Oilers plans and with Bowman's history of attracting top free agents -- does Artemi Panarin ring a bell? The team should be in aggressive pursuit of adding him to their pool.

The Oilers have been able to supplement their prospect pool well despite being consistently competitive, playing in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals.