NHL analyst floats Edmonton Oilers' 'No. 1 trade target' and it's not Penguins' D-man Marcus Pettersson

The Edmonton Oilers are poised to be aggressive buyers leading up to the NHL trade deadline. Currently leading the Pacific Division with a 31-15-3 record and 65 points, the Oilers are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders.

However, like all teams, Edmonton has some needs that general manager Stan Bowman will look to address in the coming weeks.

Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson has long been rumored to be a fit for the Oilers, but Daily Faceoff analyst Tyler Yaremchuk believes they should place their focus on someone else.

"Is Marcus Pettersson, a guy I think the Oilers should be moving all these assets out to try and get as a rental, like I don't think so," Yaremchuk said.

He feels that Edmonton's number one trade target should be Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic.

"Mine might be Trent Frederic. You're gonna get a decent amount of offense from him," Yaremchuk added. "He's playing in a bottom six role, so it's not like a Henrique situation, where you look at the 22 goals and you're like, oh, that's getting added into the lineup. Then he starts to play third-line minutes, and he's off the power play, and you're power play, and you're like, oh, he's not scoring how I thought he would. Like Trent Frederic can score in a bottom-six role."

"He can give you that little bit of grittiness that maybe you're missing right now, like, imagine rolling out a fourth line with Frederic and Perry on it for a playoff series. They'll be sick of you by game two. Forget game six or game seven. So Trent Frederic is my new number one."

Trent Frederic is a pending UFA in the final season of a two-year, $4,600,000 contract. He has amassed 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 49 games this season.

The Edmonton Oilers will have Connor McDavid back on Monday

Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) skates during an NHL game. (Credits: IMAGN)

The Edmonton Oilers will welcome back Connor McDavid on Monday night as an addition from within as he returns from suspension.

McDavid served his three games for cross-checking Conor Garland in the head on Saturday, January 18. Edmonton went 2-1-0 in his absence, further cementing their strength even without the best player in the world.

The Oilers captain has tallied 65 points (20 goals, 45 assists) in 43 games this season, putting him on pace for the eighth 100-point campaign of his NHL career.

McDavid's return comes on Monday night when the Edmonton Oilers host the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place. The puck drops at 9:30 p.m. EST.