The NHL offseason is a wonderful time.

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Nobody has played a game in weeks. Every general manager says they're "exploring all options." Every fan base thinks it's one move away from a Stanley Cup. And every salary cap somehow becomes optional.

Nobody does offseason optimism quite like Edmonton Oilers fans.

Spend five minutes on social media in July and you'll discover Edmonton has somehow acquired half the league. The only thing standing in the way is convincing another general manager that a fourth-round pick, a B-level prospect and "future considerations" are a fair return.

With that in mind, let's rank the trade ideas that somehow gained enough momentum to become actual conversations.

Oilers Sign Newest Defenseman, Shakir Mukhamadullin to a 2-Year ContractThe 6-foot-4 blueliner joins Edmonton following the Darnell Nurse blockbuster. Now, the mobile Russian looks to secure a permanent NHL role and prove his high-upside offensive potential.

6. Connor McDavid for literally anything

This one usually doesn't come from Edmonton.

Every summer, a fan from another market decides Connor McDavid is definitely leaving and proposes the kind of package that starts with four first-round picks and ends with "a really promising prospect."

It's adorable.

The funniest part is the explanation.

"You have to get something for him."

Yes. If the Oilers ever trade the best player in the league, they'll probably ask for more than a collection of mystery boxes.

Next.

A Performance Review For Every Oilers Player, Written In Corporate HR LanguageThe following performance reviews were conducted as part of the Edmonton Oilers' annual talent assessment cycle. All employees were evaluated across five core competencies: output quality, collaboration, time management, leadership presence, and overall contribution to organizational objectives. Reviews are confidential and intended solely for internal development purposes.

5. Evan Bouchard for a "real defenceman"

This one usually follows one bad playoff game.

Suddenly Edmonton should move one of the NHL's most productive offensive defencemen because somebody blocked three shots in another series.

Then Bouchard quarterbacks another lethal power play, finishes near the top of league scoring among defencemen, and everyone pretends they never floated the idea.

Funny how that works.

How A No-Trade Clause Reportedly Blew Up an Oilers-Bruins Deal for Darnell NurseA single veto reportedly derailed a blockbuster swap that would have sent the veteran defenseman to Boston, forcing Edmonton to pivot toward a massive salary cap clearance.

4. Mattias Ekholm because he's getting older

This one at least comes from a reasonable place.

Father Time is undefeated.

You can see it at times. Ekholm doesn't cover ice quite like he did two years ago, but his reads are still next level. His experience is still invaluable, though his feet occasionally remind you he's in his mid-thirties.

That doesn't automatically mean trading him makes the team better.

Contenders don't usually improve by moving smart hockey players unless they already know who's replacing them.

Stan Bowman Was Cooking On July 1Stan Bowman has been in Edmonton for two years now, and until Wednesday, the loudest criticism levelled at him was that he hadn't yet put his own stamp on the roster, that the team he inherited from Ken Holland was still largely the team Holland built, and that the real test of what kind of general manager he was going to be here hadn't arrived yet.

3. "The cap isn't real."

This isn't one trade proposal.

It's an entire category.

Every July, someone suggests the Oilers should acquire the biggest available star, re-sign everyone, add another top-four defenceman and somehow keep Connor McDavid happy long term.

It's usually gets explained with phrases like: "We'll figure it out later."

Stan Bowman wishes.

Did the Oilers Win Day One of Free Agency? There's a Case to Be MadeStan Bowman silenced critics by shedding Darnell Nurse’s massive contract, acquiring solid young talent, picking up two goalies and fortifying the roster while maintaining crucial cap flexibility for a deep run.

2. Every superstar with Edmonton in the rumour mill

Mitch Marner.

Jason Robertson.

Cale Makar.

If there's a recognizable name available, the Oilers are apparently one phone call away.

Never mind that the other team also employs people capable of reading CapFriendly.

The rumour cycle follows the same script every summer.

Player becomes available, internet says "Edmonton makes sense," everybody spends three days trying to invent a trade that would make both teams immediately regret answering the phone, then nothing happens.

It's beautiful, really.

Oilers Sign Frederik Andersen to 1-Yr DealFresh off a Stanley Cup run with Carolina, the veteran netminder brings elite postseason experience to Edmonton’s crease as the Oilers solidify their roster for another title push.

1. The trade that somehow lands Connor Bedard

There wasn't one specific proposal. There were several.

Some involved three first-round picks the Oilers don't own.

Some involved prospects everyone suddenly decided were untouchable five minutes after suggesting they be traded.

One even involved moving Connor McDavid because Chicago "needed a veteran."

That's enough internet for one day.

The funny thing about the NHL offseason is that these conversations never really disappear.

By the middle of August, Oilers fans will have convinced themselves the European free agent nobody had heard of in June is ready to score 25 goals. Someone on a professional tryout will suddenly become the answer to the third line. A defenceman coming off his worst season in five years will be labelled the perfect buy-low candidate.

Oilers Sign Defenseman Ryan Shea to a 5-Year DealFollowing Darnell Nurse’s blockbuster trade to San Jose, Edmonton pivoted quickly to land the former Penguins standout, Ryan Shea. They are banking on his elite plus-minus rating and significant salary cap flexibility.

And honestly? That's part of the fun.

Hope is the NHL's most renewable resource, and no fan base manufactures it quite like Edmonton. Every summer starts with impossible trades, impossible contracts and impossible math.

Every September, reality shows up.

Until then, somebody on the internet is probably trying to figure out how the Oilers can acquire Cale Makar for two prospects, a conditional second-round pick and future considerations. And somewhere, someone else is nodding along, thinking, 'You know what? That might actually work.'

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