Penguins and Oilers Eye Complementary Roster Solutions Ahead of Season

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers have each generated a distinct set of roster complexities this summer, ultimately steering both general managers — Kyle Dubas and Stan Bowman — toward a potential resolution.

Pittsburgh has amassed a surplus of NHL‑ready forwards, creating a situation where the team must find suitable ice time for each, while simultaneously questioning the depth and longevity of its defensive corps. Edmonton, by contrast, faces the opposite dilemma: a bottom‑heavy roster that includes three goaltenders and an overabundance of defensemen, prompting GM Stan Bowman to note that acquiring a forward is the more probable remedy.

Edmonton anticipates entering the season with roughly $4 million to $4.5 million in cap space, providing Bowman with the flexibility to pursue an advantageous move should the right opportunity arise. He recently discussed this financial flexibility on Oilers Now, though he emphasized that such room does not guarantee a trade will happen.

Looking ahead, Edmonton appears to be seeking a genuine top‑six winger rather than merely adding another depth forward. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh should avoid parting with a contributive player solely because its depth chart appears crowded in August. Nevertheless, the teams’ complementary excesses warrant close attention once training camp clarifies which roster spots remain vacant.

Penguins’ Forward Surplus Creates Utilization Dilemma

Pittsburgh’s challenge has shifted from a shortage of NHL‑ready forwards to a surplus that makes securing adequate playing time for each increasingly difficult. The THW roster projection previously slotted Justin Brazeau on a fourth‑line spot, and it also projected Elmer Söderblom, Hendrix Lapierre, Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty and several others vying for fringe positions. This forecast predated Koivunen’s recent eight‑year contract extension, heightening the urgency of carving out meaningful minutes for the younger contingent.

Among the candidates, Justin Brazeau stands out as the most straightforward candidate for a trade. He posted 17 goals and 34 points across 64 games last season and holds a modest $1.5 million cap hit in the final year of his contract. Recent analysis suggests the Penguins could render Brazeau expendable, given his tradeable value and the fact that the organization could comfortably replace his roster slot.

Lapierre and Söderblom present distinct considerations. Pittsburgh acquired Lapierre by trading two future draft picks and subsequently signed him to a two‑year, $1.3 million‑per‑year contract; moving him immediately would be atypical unless another club offers a compelling valuation. Söderblom, by contrast, is under contract for $1.125 million after the Penguins gave up a third‑round pick to obtain him at the previous season’s trade deadline.

Both players are cost‑effective enough to be discussed in a broader trade dialogue without jeopardizing Edmonton’s cap space. The key question for Dubas is whether a surplus of depth retains value when multiple athletes vie for a limited pool of lineup spots. Ultimately, sheer quantity must translate into NHL‑level production or be converted into another asset.

Edmonton’s Defensive Logjam Opens a Trade Opportunity

This is where the situation becomes intriguing. Edmonton currently fields eight defensemen who have a realistic shot at making the roster, yet three of them — Spencer Stastney, Ty Emberson, and Shakir Mukhamadullin — are vying for a limited number of spots and each would require waivers to be assigned to the AHL. A recent THW analysis highlighted Stastney as the most obvious candidate for movement, given that he could be lost at no cost if he fails to secure a place in the opening‑night lineup.

Stastney Emerges as the Straightforward Pittsburgh Target

If Dubas seeks a relatively straightforward transaction, Stastney presents a more sensible option than Mukhamadullin. He logged two goals and 10 points in 66 games last season while averaging 16:02 of ice time per game. The Oilers subsequently scratched him for the final 12 regular‑season contests and all six playoff games, leaving a 26‑year‑old defenseman earning $1.525 million on a contract without a clear spot in the lineup.

This profile aligns with Pittsburgh’s current strategy. Stastney is young enough to offer more than short‑term veteran insurance, inexpensive enough to serve as a seventh defenseman, and experienced enough that head coach Dan Muse would not need to treat him as a novice prospect requiring protection.

In such a discussion, Brazeau would be the Penguins’ cleanest trade chip, as the salaries of the two players are roughly comparable. This does not imply that a Brazeau‑for‑Stastney swap represents equal value for both clubs, but it does suggest that the trade could be negotiated without intricate cap gymnastics.

Mukhamadullin Demands a More Complex Dialogue

Mukhamadullin is the more intriguing target because his upside is higher. Edmonton acquired the 24‑year‑old defenseman as part of the Darnell Nurse trade in July and subsequently signed him to a two‑year deal. He is a 2020 first‑round selection, capable of playing either side despite shooting left, and remains young enough to complement the roster the Penguins are seeking to construct. Edmonton also retains Mattias Ekholm, Jake Walman, and Ryan Shea on the left side, further intensifying the competition for Mukhamadullin’s spot.

These attributes also diminish the likelihood of a cheap acquisition. Pittsburgh would probably need to offer more than a marginal forward who merely loses a training‑camp battle to secure Mukhamadullin. Edmonton would have little incentive to trade a controlled 24‑year‑old defenseman for a peripheral roster player unless that forward addresses a substantive need or the Penguins provide additional value.

Lapierre could foster a more compelling discussion, given that he is also 24, retains two years of contractual control, and has logged 158 NHL appearances. However, Pittsburgh obtained him in June by surrendering a third‑round and a fifth‑round pick, making an immediate trade difficult to justify unless Dubas concluded that Mukhamadullin represented a clear upgrade that addressed a higher organizational priority. Such a conversation remains worthwhile, even if it ultimately does not materialize.

Dubas Should Aim to Convert Surplus Into Balance

The Penguins do not need another trade solely for the sake of activity. They can commence training camp with their existing roster and allow injuries, performance levels, and waiver decisions to naturally reshape the depth chart. While four preseason games offer only a limited evaluation window, Muse should still be able to identify which forwards truly separate themselves before Dubas contemplates any moves.

The risk arises if Pittsburgh departs camp with useful forwards still relegated to the press box while the defensive corps remains understaffed. The team’s already crowded roster is squeezing available opportunities, and sustaining excess depth indefinitely could ultimately prove counterproductive.

Edmonton confronts a parallel dilemma. Stastney, Emberson, and Mukhamadullin cannot all be relegated to the AHL without incurring waiver risk, yet General Manager Stan Bowman has publicly indicated financial space for another forward. A PensBurgh analysis on August 11 linked the two clubs and identified Brazeau, Lapierre, and Söderblom as forwards who could logically enter trade discussions.

What makes this pairing worth monitoring is that neither team possesses exactly what the other desires, and neither is offering a blockbuster package. Often, trades emerge when two clubs share a common problem. In this case, Pittsburgh and Edmonton each possess the complementary surplus that the other requires.

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