The Edmonton Oilers are being urged to target an underrated Ottawa Senators forward. There is no secret that Edmonton’s general manager, Stan Bowman, has to make some moves this summer. After reaching back-to-back Stanley Cup finals, the Oilers were bounced early from this season’s postseason.
Edmonton also has to make superstar center Connor McDavid happy or risk him asking for a move out of town. Reinforcements are certainly needed. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell is now claiming that Ottawa Senators center Stephen Halliday could become the perfect target for the Oilers. Admittedly, that sentence certainly deserves an explanation.
Another report on June 1 is claiming that the Oilers are eyeing star wingers Jordan Kyrou and Owen Tippett. Grabbing one of these forwards instead of Halliday would make fans in Edmonton happier. After all, both these forwards are regarded much higher than the Senators’ rookie. Nevertheless, money is a concern for the Oilers.
According to Puckpedia.com, Edmonton only has just over $14 million in projected cap space heading towards the 2026-27 season. While not exactly a small figure, the Oilers have several holes to fill. Because of this, Bowman may have to spread out those extra funds over multiple players. Kyrou currently has an annual cap hit of $8.12 million, while Tippett earns an AAV of $6.2 million.
Edmonton Oilers Could Give Stephen Halliday More Playing Time
GettyStephen Halliday could be a solid buy-low candidate for the Oilers.
While the Edmonton Oilers still could land one of these two stars, they will likely have to offload unattractive contracts first. Assuming this cannot be done, Halliday could very well become an option. The rookie forward recorded 11 points in just 30 total games during the 2025-26 season. However, Halliday put up these numbers while averaging a TOI of 8:31 per game. He even racked up two goals and an assist against the Vegas Golden Knights on 12 total shifts.
Halliday is also a large forward at 6’4″, 214 pounds, and will earn just over $1 million per year through the 2027-28 campaign. Senators head coach Travis Green, however, overlooked the youngster during the recent playoffs. The forward was scratched in all four of Ottawa’s games, as they were swept by the Carolina Hurricanes.
Despite this, Halliday was rated as Ottawa’s number two prospect by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in 2025. At the time, Wheeler heaped praise on the young forward by pointing to his stellar offensive record as a prospect. Halliday recorded 36 points in 38 collegiate games during his final season at Ohio State University. He has since racked up 80 points over his last 100 AHL games with the Belleville Senators.
Edmonton Needs to be Smart in Summer Moves
Perhaps the biggest obstacle for the Edmonton Oilers in their potential pursuit of Halliday is whether or not Ottawa wants to part ways with the forward. Even though they opted not to give him much playing time, the Senators do not have a ton of highly rated prospects. In fact, Wheeler recently ranked Ottawa as having the 26th-best prospect pool in the NHL.
Nevertheless, the Oilers could at least take a look to see what a deal for Halliday might cost. Edmonton does not necessarily need more superstar scorers. Instead, they need quality depth pieces to help McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard. Halliday may be viewed as a more affordable option for the Oilers in the coming weeks.
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