The Edmonton Oilers remain interested in making one more signing this summer. So far, general manager Stan Bowman has mostly focused on his defense/goaltending during the offseason. Ryan Shea and Shakir Mukhamadullin should boost the club’s struggling blue line. Edmonton’s goalie situation was also revamped with Frederik Andersen and Devon Levi entering the fray.
Bowman, however, is still looking to add another forward to his roster. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell specifically believes that the Oilers need a right-handed center. According to the reporter, Edmonton’s top exec could use one of their plethora of defenseman, notably Spencer Stastney, to help land a forward. At the moment, the team has eight NHL-ready blueliners fighting for six starting spots.
Swapping Stastney for a forward who requires waivers would not make much sense, though. Instead, Mitchell claims that the Edmonton Oilers should be looking for a player who could spend time in the AHL this season. “There are NHL-caliber players who are waivers-exempt this fall,” writes Mitchell. “Some of those players are right-handed centers and could offer the Oilers some roster cover for the 2026-27 season. One player who might be a fit is Ethan Procyszyn of the Anaheim Ducks.”
Procyszyn was previously selected by Anaheim in the third round of the 2024 draft. Since then, he has remained with the OHL’s North Bay Battalion. The 20-year-old center recorded 59 total points in 65 games with the club last season. Assuming he remains in Anaheim’s organization, the prospect is expected to feature with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
Ethan Procyszyn Would Give the Edmonton Oilers a Solid Option at Forward
GettyLanding Ethan Procyszyn would solve the Edmonton Oilers’ need for a young right-handed center.
The Edmonton Oilers would not necessarily be getting a new top-six forward if they landed Procyszyn. Nevertheless, at 6’3″, 190 pounds, the youngster is praised for his physicality and work rate. “He skates well for a guy his size,” writes The Athletic’s Corey Pronman. “He has good puck skills and can beat defensemen on the move with his skill. Procyszyn plays hard as well. He can PK effectively; he’s very physical and attacks the net to create offense.”
Pronman recently rated Procyszyn as Anaheim’s 13th-best young player. This list, however, includes the club’s NHL stars such as Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke, and Cutter Gauthier. According to the reporter, the Ducks have the second-best group of youngsters in the NHL.
This is also not the first time that Mitchell has urged the Edmonton Oilers to target a young forward rather than a proven NHL player. The beat writer previously linked Edmonton to Carolina Hurricanes prospect Felix Unger Sörum and Boston Bruins youngster Matt Poitras.
Edmonton has Available Money to Make a Trade
Mitchell is not exactly just taking a shot in the dark regarding the Edmonton Oilers’ search for a forward. Bowman recently hinted that he is not done making moves this summer. In fact, the team’s GM even admitted that if he added another player to the roster, “it would be a forward.”
Bowman and the Oilers also have ample money available to bring in another player. According to PuckPedia.com, Edmonton has nearly $5 million in projected cap space. Using all of these funds may not be the smart move. Instead, the Edmonton Oilers could opt only to spend a fraction of the remaining space and keep the rest for the trade deadline. Procyszyn only earns $1 million annually in Anaheim.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Oilers Linked to Landing Highly Rated Ducks Forward via Trade appeared first on HEAVY.