The Edmonton Oilers are about to face a tough decision as several injured players get ready to return to the lineup.
It’s a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem. The team will soon need to make room for Zach Hyman, Jake Walman, and Mattias Janmark – all key pieces of their roster.
The Oilers just moved defenseman Alec Regula to injured reserve on Sunday. But that’s just a temporary fix.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli reports the team is already looking at potential trades to solve their roster crunch. They’ve got to stay under the league’s 23-player limit somehow.
Two names keep coming up in trade talks: Ty Emberson and Mattias Janmark.
Emberson’s situation is particularly interesting. The 25-year-old defenseman came to Edmonton last year in the Cody Ceci trade with San Jose. He had a pretty solid run, playing in 76 regular-season games and getting some playoff action too.
But things change fast in hockey. Emberson’s been sliding down the depth chart lately, and with Regula making a strong push for playing time, he might be the odd man out.
The Oilers won’t just give him away though. They’ll be looking to get something valuable in return if they do decide to move him.
It’s the kind of roster juggling that keeps NHL general managers up at night – trying to keep their best players while staying within the rules. And for the Oilers, the clock is ticking.
