Oilers & Hurricanes Can Pull Off Immediate Trade

The Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes are in the same mindset of going for a Stanley Cup this season, but early on, they are in different places in terms of adding or moving off of players.

The Oilers have managed thus far with some injured players, but as those players get healthy, they will be looking to move at least one player out. The Hurricanes, on the other hand, have had to fill their very injured team with rookies and are looking to bring in more experience for the time being.

Frank Seravalli said, "(The Hurricanes are) actively looking to acquire a stopgap to aid their banged up blueline." They have four rookie defensemen currently on the roster, totaling just 24 NHL regular season games played.

On the Oilers, Elliotte Friedman reported, "They got a lot of guys coming back from injury. One of the names that's definitely going around...Troy Stecher. It doesn't necessarily have to be Stecher. I think the Oilers have considered a bunch of things."

Stecher would be the perfect candidate for the Hurricanes, given he is an experienced bottom-pairing right-shot defenseman who could get into the Oilers' lineup if they didn't have Ty Emberson and Alec Regula ahead of him when healthy. Stecher has gotten into some games this season as the Oilers switched things up and dressed seven defensemen, but he isn't an everyday player in Edmonton.

The Oilers also have other options if they were to trade Stecher and things turned for them quickly, such as Josh Brown and Cam Dineen in the AHL. Stecher played 66 games for the Oilers last season, so he is more than capable of handling a short-term role on the Hurricanes that may even turn into a larger role depending on the health. There is a much better chance of him playing more in Carolina this season than in Edmonton, and the 31-year-old is a UFA after the season. He would cost a late-round pick to acquire for the Hurricanes.