Along with signing head coach Mike Babcock, the Edmonton Oilers did a substantial amount of business in the offseason. However, the Oilers aren’t done yet, as NHL insider Darren Dreger recently revealed the team is a frontrunner to land an Eastern Conference center.
During an appearance on The Nielson Show, Dreger said he won’t reveal the player’s name, but Edmonton is chasing a young Eastern Conference forward, a young center. According to Dreger, the player in question is someone who is still trying to prove his NHL value.
“I’m not gonna mention the player’s name. […] A young forward, a young center potentially, with plenty of upside, plenty of room to grow, and plenty to prove at the NHL level. I know it’s a conversation the Oilers have had for a number of weeks with a team in the Eastern Conference. […] We’re talking about a guy who’s still trying to prove his NHL value at this point. […] I just know that Edmonton was considered to be a front-runner in trade conversation with this team about this Eastern Conference player,” Dreger said.
While Darren Dreger kept the center’s name under wraps, a likely candidate Edmonton is chasing is Kirby Dach. At 25, Dach is still proving himself in the National Hockey League, and several reports have previously linked him to Edmonton.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli earlier revealed the Oilers are “drooling” over Kirby Dach
Kirby Dach’s contract with the Montreal Canadiens ends at the 2026-27 NHL season. While there is uncertainty about Dach’s future in Montreal, NHL insider Frank Seravalli earlier revealed that the Edmonton Oilers are highly interested in landing Kirby Dach.
In a column on Casino.org, Seravalli revealed that Dach’s future in Montreal has been tenuous for months. Seravalli wrote that the Edmonton and Calgary Flames are two teams interested in Dach.
“The truth is Dach’s future in Montréal has been tenuous for months now. Sources indicate two teams in particular — the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames — have kept close tabs on Dach’s status this month to see if they could wait out the Habs, who have held firm on a high asking price,” Seravalli wrote.
““The interest in Edmonton borders on drooling; the Oilers are intent on acquiring Dach at some point. Whether that’s before the season starts, at the March 1 trade deadline, or next summer as a free agent. The push isn’t necessarily to reunite the Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, native with his younger brother, Colton, on their hometown team. Dach was GM Stan Bowman’s bet at No. 3 overall in 2019 in Chicago, and Bowman feels only a poor run of injury luck has kept Dach from reaching that potential,” Seravalli added.
In the 2025-26 NHL season, Kirby Dach unfortunately spent a lot of time injured. Dach could only play 37 games for the Canadiens, in which he recorded 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists).
Edited by Varun Anand Bhat
