Edmonton Oilers interested in Ekholm's former partner in free agency

Carrier is a 27 year old right shot defenceman with 217 games played in the NHL. He doesn't play an offensively minded game, but excels in shut-down defence that's earned him a great reputation around the league. Mattias Ekholm was paired with Alexandre Carrier when he was in Nashville, a combination that produced incredible results. In 2021-22, Carrier was a mind-boggling +27 on the season, a testament to his defensive game.

The Edmonton Oilers will heavily connected to acquiring Carrier at the deadline as an upgrade on Cody Ceci, and that plan could easily be revisited this offseason. Ceci is currently making $3.25M for one more season, and Carrier is expected to sign for around $3.25M for 3 years. The Oilers could improve their blue line and set themselves up for the next three years at no cost if they can simply trade Ceci to sign Carrier.

Despite the fact the team doesn't have an official General Manager at the moment, the Oilers can't afford to play it safe this offseason. With the team so close to winning a Stanley Cup, management needs to do everything they can to strengthen this team for another long playoff run - not just next year, but for the foreseeable future. All eyes are on President Jeff Jackson to make the right moves this offseason, and signing Carrier would be a great start.

Source: Alex Daugherty