An unexpected family reunion trade is suddenly on the Oilers' radar
The Kirby Dach trade buzz is heating up this week, and Edmonton just became the most compelling destination on the board.
Insider Renaud Lavoie named the Oilers as a genuine suitor on BPM Sports radio, with Georges Laraque echoing the same destination independently.
Two voices, same conclusion. That is not a coincidence.
Lavoie expects Kent Hughes to tender Dach a qualifying offer before the June 29 deadline, keeping his rights and preserving his trade value.
At 25, Dach still carries leverage as a restricted free agent. He is not a castaway. He is a piece Hughes can move from a position of strength.
The angle makes obvious sense for Edmonton GM Stan Bowman too.
Younger brother Colton Dach already plays in an Oilers uniform. Kirby grew up in Alberta, close to Edmonton.
What Bowman would likely give up for a reunion deal
Lavoie pegged the return in the range of a second or third-round pick, not a first, for a straight one-for-one deal.
That price feels right for a forward who posted 15 points in 37 games this season, held back by injuries again.
His last five games of the season were scoreless and he went -4 in that stretch. Not a seller's market.
But context matters here. Dach is not being traded on his stats alone. He is being moved on his age, his cost, and what he might still become.
His cap hit sits at $3,362,500 this season, and a new deal will not be dramatically higher if Hughes qualifies him and shops him.
For the Oilers, who finished 41-30-11 and ranked 14th overall, adding a 25-year-old centre with upside fits a retool more than a full rebuild.
Lavoie also left the door open for a bigger package scenario, where Dach serves as one piece inside a larger deal rather than the centerpiece.
-
That changes the calculus entirely. A second-rounder in a straight swap is one thing.
Dach bundled toward a bigger target is a completely different conversation, one Hughes seems willing to have this summer.
The qualifying offer deadline gives Hughes leverage. Extend it, and Dach becomes a trade chip with a contract attached. Walk away from it, and he walks for nothing.
A reconnection with his brother, a return to home province, a fresh start. Hard to find a cleaner fit on paper.
Whether Bowman is willing to pay even a second-round pick for a player coming off a 37-game season is the real question nobody has answered yet.
|
YESTERDAY
JUNE 2, 2026
| ||||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Shea Theodore | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Brayden McNabb | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Tomas Hertl | 1 | - | 1 | |
| William Karlsson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 1 | 1 | |
| K'Andre Miller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Colton Sissons | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jaccob Slavin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Smith | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | - | - | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Jackson Blake | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||