Oilers Trade Rumours: The latest from insiders on the Oilers search for a defenceman

To simplify the Edmonton Oilers issues this season, they have been struggling to keep the puck out of their own net throughout the year.

This has led the team to make changes, swapping out their goaltending tandem. The club traded Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Tristan Jarry and acquired Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators.

The team also recalled third string netminder Connor Ingram up and have since sent veteran Calvin Pickard down through waivers to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. This has resulted in a whole new tandem between the pipes and still, the team struggled to defend. This caused the club to bring back former assistant coach Paul Coffey behind the bench.

Now, as the March 6th NHL trade deadline nears, the Oilers are rumoured to be in the market for upgrades to their blueline. According to multiple NHL insiders, there are names starting to emerge, St. Louis Blues right-shot defender Justin Faulk and Toronto Maple Leafs and 2026 Swedish Olympic defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Oilers reportedly interested in two defencemen

After Tyler Myers was publicly held out of the Vancouver Canucks lineup on Wednesday night for 'roster management purposes' while he reportedly mulled over a trade offer, it was reported that the Oilers were a team that were not in the mix.

The two that the Oilers are in the mix on, are Faulk and Ekman-Larsson, according to NHL insider Frank Seravalli on Amazon Prime Video's Coast To Coast broadcast. He named both of those players as "Two [players] in particular that I believe the Edmonton Oilers have circled and are paying very close attention to."

As the insider points out, given the Oilers current salary cap circumstance, acquiring either of these two defenceman would require them to move money out first. The name that makes the most sense is struggling Oilers winger, Andrew Mangiapane who the club is allegedly shopping.

Could Faulk or Ekman-Larsson be a fit for the Oilers?

Faulk, who will turn 34 next month is in the second last year of a seven-year contract paying him $6.5 million per season. At this stage in his career, he is mostly an offensively minded defenceman but does spend tim killing penalties as well. He has shown an ability to log big minutes, averaging over 22 minutes per game the last few seasons with the Blues.

This season, he has played in 58 games for the Blues and has recorded 32 points (11 goals, 21 assists). There is clearly some gas left in the tank with Faulk and if the Oilers are able to get him retained, he could be a useful addition.

Ekman-Larsson is 34 years old and in the second year of a four-year contract paying him $3.5 million per season. SImilarly to Faulk, much of his value comes from his offensive game having scored 35 points in 59 games (eight goals, 27 assists). He logs slightly less minutes than Faulk, playing just shy of 21 minutes on a nightly basis.

If the Oilers could obtain OEL at a reasonable cost, he may be a worthwhile player to pursue. He is a left-handed defenceman who can play both sides and has had a bit of a resurgence the past few seasons since his contract was bought out by the Canucks.

Both of these players could be a decent fit, with both being able to help push offence while also eating minutes and shoring up their blueline. Both veterans bring playoff experience while Ekman-Larsson even brings a recent Stanley Cup victory to the table. These would both be very valuable to a team like the Oilers who hope to get over the hump and win a Stanley Cup of their own.