The Edmonton Oilers might not be a favorite to land Washington Capitals forward Ivan Miroshnichenko, but the odds of them potentially getting in the mix have increased substantially when considering some recent updates.
According to The Fourth Period, the Capitals' ideal return for Miroshnichenko will center around a prospect and a top draft pick, which would theoretically fall in the top two rounds. The website's release also confirmed that Washington's forward depth, which was significantly expanded over the offseason, played a role in the current trade talks. The Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings were two of the teams listed as potential candidates to land Miroshnichenko.
NHL insider Jeff Marek further clarified the trade talks, adding that the goal for any trade negotiation would be to flip Miroshnichenko to a team that is not part of the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference (the latter if possible). In terms of the return, Marek didn't confirm nor deny the prospect-plus-pick package that was proposed by The Fourth Period, stating that the Capitals could live with a first-round pick at minimum.
If the latter is to be true, then David Pagnotta's proposed list of trade candidates - one that consists of the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, Calgary Flames, and Seattle Kraken - will be one team shorter than expected.
Why this is good news for Edmonton
Even with the Oilers' semi-lack of draft capital, they could easily afford the return that the Capitals are asking for without being forced to give up a prospect or depth player.
The one thing that remains unknown is if the Capitals have a preference as to when that first-round pick is to be used. While the Oilers have first-round selections beyond this coming NHL Draft, the Capitals could be looking to prioritize acquiring a 2027 first-rounder compared to one in later years.
Does that eliminate the Oilers from potentially acquiring Miroshnichenko's services? Not necessarily.
But it could force the Oilers to add a 2027 draft selection alongside one of their upcoming first-rounders. The Oilers have five picks in the upcoming NHL draft; one of those is in the second-round, and the remaining four are in the final three rounds (one of them was acquired from the Boston Bruins in the Viktor Arvidsson trade).
An ideal return in this regard could see the Oilers acquire Miroshnichenko in exchange for their first-round pick in 2028 and one of their two fifth-round selections in 2027.
It remains to be seen if the Oilers are truly tied to the Miroshnichenko trade rumors, but it's clear that circumstances might just favor them.
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