NHL insider makes bombshell speculation about Edmonton Oilers landing $55,500,000 superstar forward in free agency

NHL insider Andy Strickland made a bombshell speculation that the Edmonton Oilers could land superstar forward Mikko Rantanen in free agency this summer.

Rantanen is currently playing out the final year of his six-year, $55,500,000 contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

He was recently traded from Colorado to Carolina in a three-team deal, making it likely he will test the open market. Strickland believes Edmonton has a strong chance of signing Rantanen given their cap flexibility and need for more firepower up front.

“You want to know where Mikko Rantanen is going to end up? Edmonton. He’s going to Edmonton. They’re going to be able to pay him #1. And I think that there would be some interest from him,” Strickland said Tuesday on the "Cam & Strick" podcast.

Co-host Cam Janssens questioned how the Oilers could afford Rantanen with Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard also needing new contracts.

“Cam, don’t ask me to break down the cap. There’s some belief that they can make that happen. So you gotta look at who’s coming off the books, and all that type of stuff," he added.

He further cited the rising salary cap, players coming off the books and creative structuring as ways Edmonton could free up space for Rantanen. Strickland also noted Rantanen shares an agent with Oilers star Leon Draisaitl.

“This is not just speculation, It’s informed speculation,” Strickland emphasized regarding his bold Rantanen-to-Edmonton prediction.

NHL analyst on Edmonton Oilers' 'No. 1 trade target'

Analyst Tyler Yaremchuk believes the team's No. 1 trade target should be Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic.

Yaremchuk thinks Frederic would be a great fit for the Oilers, saying via the "Oilers Nation Everyday" podcast:

"Mine might be Trent Frederic. You're gonna get a decent amount of offense from him. He's playing in a bottom six role... 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.'

"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," he added.

Frederic is in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has 14 points in 49 games this season.