Edmonton Oilers Will Face Major Obstacle in Pursuit of Trade Deadline Acquisition This Season

In the early going this season, multiple teams are in the market with the exact same need as the Oilers. Edmonton will be competing against many teams to try to get the best fit for their lineup.

According to the Fourth Period, the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders have been aggressively pursuing a defenceman in trade in the last few weeks. Both teams aren't even expected to make the playoffs, so considering when playoff contenders enter the picture as well, the Oilers will be hard pressed to get a premium defender.

Last week, reports surfaced that the Edmonton Oilers are aggressively pursuing a trade for a defenceman, perhaps to keep competitive with other teams. Oilers insider Kurt Leavins later threw cold water on the theory, suggesting that the Oilers will have a better position with their salary cap and options if they wait until longer into the season.

With so many teams competing for a top four defenceman in trade, the price for acquisition could seriously increase. The Oilers don't have too many premium assets to trade, but they could be able to trade a high end prospect like Matthew Savoie or Sam O'Reilly to get a star player. It wouldn't be ideal, but it's a possibility.

The Oilers really need to hit a home run on their trade for their defenceman this year, and hopefully it ends up solving the struggles of Darnell Nurse on the second pair. It will be massive for their chances of playoff success this year.