The Edmonton Oilers' Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (93) and Zach Hyman (18) celebrate a goal against the Anaheim Ducks during first period NHL action at Rogers Place, in Edmonton Monday Jan. 26, 2026. Photo by David Bloom /Postmedia

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This in from Oilers Bob Stauffer, host of Oilers Now, his speculation that the Edmonton Oilers could add a centre this year.

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“I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility at some point they do add a centre,” Stauffer said. “Whether it’s a fourth line right-shot centre, whether it’s a guy that can play center/right wing, we will see. You never know. They’re going to have cap space.”

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Stauffer has previously said that rookie centre Josh Samanski could possibly start the year in the AHL.

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“He’s going to have to impress the coach (Babcock),” Stauffer said of Samanski. “Now, before anybody sits here and says, ‘Well, Babcock’s got no history of developing young players,’ take a look at what happened with (Zach) Hyman and Connor Brown in the circa (20)15-16, ’16-17, in Toronto. I mean, Zach Hyman was a fifth round pick of Florida that didn’t get signed, that became a star player. And his career trajectory took off… Hyman becoming a star player, Connor Brown becoming a two-time 20 goal scorer as a six-round pick. Like those were guys, but those guys worked. They grinded. So that’s why Samanski is interesting to me.”

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Added Brendan Escott of Inside Sports, “I would say, the fourth-line centre is definitely my biggest question mark on the team.”

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1. First, it’s clear that Stauffer was speculating here, not making a prediction for a trade based on insider knowledge. He’s previously said he expects the Oilers to add a Top 6 winger.

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Oilers GM Stan Bowman also said recently on Oilers Now that if you look at the make-up of the Oilers, the need does not look to be on defence or in goal. Stauffer suggested a Top 6 or Top 9 forward would be the priority.

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Bowman agreed, saying, “I think more than likely if we were going to be adding a player, it would be a forward.”

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One key is to first see how existing players work in the new system with Babcock, Bowman added.

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2. As I see it, the Oilers won’t know until the new year what their major need (or needs) on the trade front is going to be. If there are injuries, or major drops in performance from older or injured players, it could be at any position.

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But if I had to bet it’s that the Oilers are going to need a centre, at least if talk of Babcock playing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl more often on the same line comes to pass.

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3. If McDavid and Draisaitl lead their own lines, the Oilers are set at centre, it seems to me, with Jason Dickinson and Josh Samanski solid bets as the third and fourth line centres. Some still have doubts about Samanski, but I saw a strong, smart player in Samanski, and a player who has the best defensive instincts, IQ and conscientiousness of any Oilers forward I’ve seen in years, since Mike Peca was on the team. Samanski thinks defence first, maybe to a fault, but it’s a trait that works well in a bottom line player.