Mike Babcock reaches out to Oilers' Stan Bowman with a request

Frank Seravalli reports that Mike Babcock has pushed internally for a bigger, tougher Oilers forward group, and the front office is listening.

Edmonton is not a team in trouble. The Oilers are 11-2-2 and won 3 straight, most recently Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, where they beat the Rangers 4-1.

Seravalli noted that Babcock has campaigned internally for more size and brawn up front, and that GM Stan Bowman is now examining the trade market. The report was attributed to Sportsnet and dated October 29.

The timing is easy to follow even if the roster logic isn't. Edmonton has been shuffling its wing group, and Zach Hyman's stint on injured reserve with a stiff neck has already left Babcock hunting for answers there.

Sunday showed what the group can do when it's rolling. Colton Dach scored twice, including the game-winner, and Connor McDavid put six shots on goal in a 2-point night.

Evan Bouchard had a goal and two assists from the blue line, so the top end isn't the issue. Whatever Bowman is shopping for, it's depth that gets the physical edge.

Why a heavier Oilers lineup is a risky trade

Here is where Babcock's request gets a hard look. A team with a 7-0-0 road record and a +20 goal differential is not screaming for a roster overhaul.

Chasing size usually costs speed or skill, and Edmonton has built its results on skill. If Bowman pays real assets for muscle on a team that's already winning, that's a bad trade waiting to happen.

The coach's wish list also lands next to other lineup questions. Babcock said Friday that he went through "the whole process" again with Jake Walman, and Walman's shrinking role on the blue line is still unsettled.

Two things are still unknown: which forwards Bowman is actually targeting, and what Edmonton would be willing to move. The Oilers face New Jersey on the road Tuesday, and any name that surfaces before then will tell us how serious this is.

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