Marc-Andre Gaudet is sitting on waivers right now, and Edmonton has exactly the kind of front office that likes to scoop up value like this.
Elliotte Friedman confirmed the St. Louis Blues placed Gaudet on waivers this week.
The 22-year-old, 6-foot-3 left-shot defenseman was a fifth-round pick, 152nd overall, back in 2022.
Gaudet just wrapped his first full AHL season with the Springfield Thunderbirds, posting 20 points in 53 games and adding 4 more points across 11 Calder Cup playoff games.
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Before turning pro, he racked up 107 points over four seasons in the QMJHL, playing for Acadie-Bathurst and Sherbrooke.
He's in the final year of his entry-level deal, carrying an $827,500 cap hit at the NHL level, and becomes an RFA with compensation in 2027.
St. Louis clearly views him as depth rather than a near-term piece worth protecting, which is exactly the kind of situation Edmonton's front office has exploited before.
Why this fits Bowman's known pattern of moves
Stan Bowman spent last season conducting a near-total overhaul of Edmonton's bottom six and depth pieces, churning through ten roster players in search of better value.
A young, physical, cost-controlled defenseman like Gaudet fits that same appetite for adding low-risk pieces without touching the Oilers' core cap commitments.
Edmonton's blue line already carries real money in Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm, making a near-free depth add like Gaudet an easy swing if Bowman sees real long-term upside.
Claiming him would cost Edmonton almost nothing against the cap, with real optionality to stash him in the minors and let him keep developing without any NHL pressure.
Edmonton finished 41-30-11 last season, third overall, giving the organization room to gamble on a project player without disrupting a roster built to win now.
Whether Bowman actually puts in a claim is unknown, but this is precisely the type of low-cost swing his front office has shown a real willingness to make.
Should the Oilers claim Marc-Andre Gaudet off waivers from the Blues?
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