NHL Trade Rumors: Could GM Stan Bowman push Edmonton Oilers toward a Juuse Saros deal?

At the beginning of their season, the goaltending dilemma at the Edmonton Oilers turned out to be their most important story, particularly after the humiliating 9-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

That loss led fans and analysts to push for GM Stan Bowman to take action immediately, and now he is under a lot of pressure to consider upgrading the goaltender position. Stuart Skinner has managed to perform better recently, and so he has received some support, but the conversation concerning if Juuse Saros could be the long-term answer still reigns in the league discussions.Interest in Saros rose when Jeff Marek first floated his name as a possible target, then insiders like Allan Mitchell and Mark Spector followed up with more detailed analyses.

The biggest problem is clear: Edmonton is very close to the salary cap limit, has almost no tradable players, and Saros has only just begun the first year of an eight-year contract that carries a full no-movement clause. This situation makes any trade incredibly difficult, despite the fact that most people think that Saros would quickly bring stability to the Oilers’ most vulnerable area.

Can Edmonton Oilers actually convince the Nashville Predators to trade Juuse Saros?

The first question is whether Nashville wants to discuss things.

Until now, the insider's view of the situation is that the Predators are not interested in trading Juuse Saros. Allan Mitchell mentioned that any trade would see the Nashville team retaining some salary, and allowing it to take back several players, whereas, in the case of Skinner, Frank Seravalli was not sure if Saros’ recent performance could be considered an upgrade over Skinner.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, meanwhile, are figuring out how their narrative is changing.

Insiders, like Josh Yohe, are saying that after the team’s surprisingly good start, players like Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust are no longer going to be trade candidates — at least not as long as the team stays in the playoffs. GM Kyle Dubas will not be chasing risky rentals or sacrificing future assets, which implies he is adopting a more conservative approach compared to the previous seasons.The Oilers can only have Juuse Saros in their dreams for the moment, as all indications are that this trade is unlikely to happen — at least for now. Nashville wants to keep its goalie, and Edmonton has no room under the cap, making it more probable that the latter's next step will be aiming at a backup strengthening rather than going for a spectacular blockbuster trade.More coverage on NHL Who is NHL star Taylor Raddysh married to? Inside his love story with wife Taylor BarronNHL Injury Update: St. Louis Blues forward Mathieu Joseph sidelined before clash with Calgary FlamesColorado Avalanche locks in rising star Gavin Brindley with two-year contract extension