The Edmonton Oilers hunt for Ivan Provorov takes an unfortunate turn
The Edmonton Oilers will be looking to add a defenceman come NHL trade deadline, but one of their top targets appears to be taken off the board. It's well documented that the Edmonton Oilers will be looking to add a defenceman to bolster their back-end heading into the playoffs. According to sources, Columbus Blue Jackets blue liner Ivan Provorov has been previously liked to Edmonton, but Frank Seravalli reports new complexities that may hinder Stan Bowman's efforts to acquire him.
Frank Seravalli gives grim update on Ivan Provorov
According to Liam McCormick of Oilers Daily, NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Provorov may be coming off the board to stay on with the Columbus Blue Jackets long term, citing some personal reasons keeping him in Ohio.
- Frank Seravalli
However, if Provorov wants to stay in Columbus for the personal reasons of being near his family and playing with countrymen, there's nothing Edmonton can do.
The Edmonton Oilers have first round draft picks in 2025-2026, but the team is currently stuck in "win now" mode.
If the Oilers do end up trading for Provorov, they'll likely have to pay a bit more than the first round draft pick to get Columbus or another team to retain some of his $4.725M salary cap hit.
While having Provorov off the table isn't the best news for Oilers fans, GM Stan Bowman seems flexible on the type of defender he's willing to bring in.
As it stands, it looks like the Edmonton Oilers will be taking their chances on a "off-radar" blue-liner. It should be interesting to see what Bowman does leading up to the trade deadline.
