Stan Bowman could be preparing a major addition for the Oilers

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Mike Babcock could be headed toward a major role decision if Edmonton adds another centre this season.

Bob Stauffer said he doesn't believe adding a centre is out of the question for the Oilers, pointing to either a fourth-line right-shot option or a player who can handle centre and right wing.

The discussion matters because Edmonton's internal plan is still unsettled. Rookie Josh Samanski could begin the season in the AHL, leaving the fourth-line centre job as one of the roster's clearer question marks.

Brendan Escott called that position his biggest concern on the team. Stauffer also stressed that Samanski will have to impress Babcock before earning a permanent NHL role.

Stan Bowman has already suggested that any future addition is more likely to come at forward than on defence or in goal.

The bigger wrinkle is Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If Babcock uses them together more often, Edmonton suddenly needs somebody else capable of carrying meaningful minutes down the middle.

“I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that, at some point, they add a centre. Whether it's a fourth-line right-shot centre or a player who can play centre and right wing, we will see. They're going to have cap space.”
- Bob Stauffer

Stan Bowman could be preparing another major move for the Oilers

If McDavid and Draisaitl run separate lines, the Oilers can lean on Jason Dickinson and Samanski behind them. That structure gives Edmonton far more flexibility.

But if the stars stay together, the conversation changes from finding a fourth-line centre to finding somebody who can handle second-line duty.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins becomes part of that debate. He has centre experience, but the Edmonton Journal argued his best current fit may be on Dickinson's wing in a third-line role.

“If McDavid and Draisaitl are together on the same line, then it's not a fourth-line centre the Oilers will need. It's a second-line centre. I suspect they're going to need to try for one in a trade.”
- David Staples

Nugent-Hopkins did have success at centre during the 2025 playoffs with Zach Hyman and Evander Kane on his wings, showing that the option isn't completely off the table.

The problem is cost and availability. Useful second-line centres rarely hit the trade market cheaply, and Edmonton doesn't have the deepest prospect pool to use in a bidding battle.

“I still like RNH as an NHLer, but he's no longer a top-six winger, and I doubt he's a second-line centre either. I see him fitting in nicely on Dickinson's wing on the third line. The team is best served with him as a third-line winger.”
- David Staples

That could force Bowman to wait. Injuries, role changes and performance dips may reveal a different priority once the season is underway, so making a move too early carries its own risk.

For now, Edmonton doesn't need to force anything. But if Babcock keeps McDavid and Draisaitl together and Samanski starts in the AHL, the Oilers' centre question could move from a small depth concern to one of the biggest roster issues on Bowman's desk.

Source : In the "realm of possibility" Edmonton Oilers trade for a centre, insider says

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