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The Edmonton Oilers are being linked with offloading a former first-round pick. The upcoming offseason will likely be a hectic period for the Alberta club. For starters, general manager Stan Bowman has to hire a new head coach after recently firing Kris Knoblauch. Bowman also has to improve his roster this summer to help appease superstar forward Connor McDavid.

Edmonton’s first bit of business in the coming weeks will likely be to find a new home for Darnell Nurse. The defenseman recently asked for a trade away from the Oilers. Nurse, however, may not be the only current player set to leave town. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell has also named Ike Howard as a potential trade option for Edmonton. Howard recently played for Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Championship.

While Howard did improve during his first professional season, Mitchell believes that Bowman could look to offload the former first-round pick to land another roster need. The Oilers only acquired Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning just last summer. Howard racked up 50 points in 47 games with the Bakersfield Condors during the 2025-26 campaign. He did, however, struggle when called on in Edmonton.

Mitchell also claims that Pittsburgh Penguins youngster Rutger McGroarty would likely be a better fit on the Oilers than Howard. Like Howard, the versatile young forward posted impressive stats in the AHL this past season, but has not yet put it all together in the NHL. McGroarty grabbed 34 points in 30 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2025-26.

Ike Howard May Not Be a Great Fit With the Edmonton Oilers

GettyThe Edmonton Oilers could look to swap Ike Howard for a more versatile forward.

This is not the first time that Mitchell has hinted that the Edmonton Oilers could soon trade Howard. The reporter recently claimed that while Edmonton needs scoring wingers, there is a concern over the youngster’s discipline and defensive ability.

“If [Bowman’s] choice is more of a defensive coach, who values rugged play and more discipline, even if it means a lower scoring roster, Howard might not fit the new system,” Mitchell wrote in May. “Howard is an effective player when lining up with skill, but is not well-suited to a checking style.”

In just under 300 total minutes on the ice for Edmonton, Howard has recorded just seven hits and two takeaways. For reference, McGroarty played less time with Pittsburgh but posted 26 hits and four takeaways during the recent campaign. The Penguins forward also actually had more shots and can be used on faceoffs as well.

McGroarty’s Current Contract Would Work in Edmonton

It remains to be seen if Pittsburgh would be open to a swap deal with the Edmonton Oilers. If not, Bowman would have to target McGroarty by using other assets. Nevertheless, the Penguins did not use the youngster during their brief playoff run this spring.

Along with being poised for a breakout season, McGroarty would also be a solid fit in Edmonton for financial reasons. The Pittsburgh forward still has one more year remaining on his entry-level deal. As a result, his $950,000 cap hit would suit the Oilers at the moment. According to Puckpedia.com, Edmonton has just over $14 million in projected cap space. While not necessarily a small figure, the club does have several roster holes to fill using these funds.