Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers had a very rough start to the season, but have more than turned it around and are in a comfortable playoff spot. Not only are they sure to be active at the Trade Deadline, but it has been rumored that they they could make a deal with the Predators in the coming days.
It makes sense because they have a glaring weakness on the right side of their defense, with no good players beyond their first pair. It just so happens that the Predators have a quality right-handed defenseman on a contract that expires after this season, and that is Alexandre Carrier.
Carrier is an already solid player with high upside, and is best known for his abilities as a two-way player. He is one of the top trade options on the Predators that would get them a nice return, as he is a noticeable talent upgrade as a player and could be a long-term option for another team, especially because of his age.
What also makes Carrier an attractive option for the Predators is that he is not only former teammates with Mattias Ekholm, they played strong hockey on the same pairing together for awhile. I am not saying they would definitely get paired back together, but being able to use that familiarity to their disposal would be a huge advantage for the Oilers
Looking at the Chris Tanev trade that went down earlier this week, a Carrier deal is something that could feasibly happen between these two teams. While it would be fairly costly for the Oilers, who already are short on draft picks, they are clearly in win-now mode and have to focus on that above all else.
The door is not shut on the Predators re-signing Carrier, but if they get to next Friday with no extension even close, they have no choice. And in all honesty, with how deep the defense in their overall system is, losing him would not at all sink their current playoff ambitions.