Mattias Janmark

The Oilers ride high off their deadline haul, stacking the deck for a third straight Cup Final push while the Pacific heats up. Janmark's absence leaves a hole in the bottom six that testing their depth against a brutal schedule. Goaltending questions linger as they chase consistency, and with Vegas and Anaheim loading up, every point carries massive stakes in this division dogfight.

Edmonton forward Mattias Janmark heads into surgery Wednesday, sidelining their penalty-kill anchor for the rest of the regular season just as the Pacific Division chase heats up. The Oilers already sit third in the Pacific with the March 6 trade deadline staring them down, and losing Janmark's heavy-minute defensive work creates a massive hole in the bottom six.

Mattias Janmark heads into surgery this week, sidelining the gritty veteran for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign after battling a chronic injury that forced him out early against Anaheim. Coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed the long-term absence, and now the Oilers slide him to LTIR, freeing up $1.45 million in cap space at the perfect trade deadline moment.

Josh Samanski packs his bags for Edmonton after the Oilers recall the 23-year-old forward from Bakersfield, where he racks up 31 points in 44 AHL games this season. He already flashed two assists in limited NHL time and brings Olympic pedigree from Germany's Milano Cortina stint. With Janmark on LTIR, Samanski steps into a bottom-six role that demands penalty-kill grit amid Edmonton's deadline frenzy.

The Edmonton Oilers drop a bombshell just days before the March 6 trade deadline, placing veteran winger Andrew Mangiapane and big defenseman Alec Regula on waivers to unlock cap space for their playoff charge. Insiders whisper this clears the deck for an LTIR maneuver with Mattias Janmark, potentially paving the way to recall prospects like Josh Samanski and Isaac Howard without bonus headaches.

Mattias Janmark aggravates that nagging chronic injury from the Ducks loss, leaving Edmonton's bench thin and Knoblauch scrambling with just 11 forwards against LA. Whispers from the war room point to a Toronto defenseman cracking the two-man trade shortlist as Holland eyes deadline moves to plug the hole. With the Pacific chase heating up, this setback tests Edmonton's depth and could force their hand before the buzzer.