The Edmonton Oilers are still on the playoff bubble in the Western Conference, but they should have the talent to secure a postseason spot.

It is now time for general manager Ken Holland to do something significant and give Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl some additional help to get them closer to a Stanley Cup. The Oilers can no longer waste this gift from the hockey gods.

The most intriguing name connected to them has to be San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson.

There has been a pretty strong push from the Edmonton media for the Oilers to pay the price required to land him.

BS Meter: BS

Sadly, this might just be a dream.

At least for now.

The Oilers should at least be inquiring about a trade for Karlsson and gauging his interest in joining the club (he has a no-movement clause). He is an elite player again, and the potential that could come from putting him on a team with McDavid and Draisaitl is off the charts.

The Oilers badly need a top-tier defenseman, and Karlsson could be available as the Sharks look to rebuild. He is also still signed long-term, so it could open up Edmonton's Stanley Cup window even wider over the next few years.

Could you imagine a power play with McDavid, Draisaitl and Karlsson on it? An already unstoppable power play would be even more incredible.

The problem is that this would be an extremely difficult trade to pull off in-season, given Karlsson's annual $11.5 million cap hit over the next four years and Edmonton's salary-cap situation.

Edmonton would not only need San Jose to retain salary, but it would also need to find a way to shed contracts off of its own book to make room for Karlsson for the remainder of this season and beyond.

That does not even get into the assets that San Jose would rightfully be able to demand. Karlsson is not just some random rental. He is an all-time great on pace to become the first defenseman in nearly 30 years to top 100 points in a single season. Furthermore, he is signed through the 2026-27 campaign.

They can—and should—ask for the moon in return.

Holland has not yet shown a willingness to pay that sort of price in trades as general manager of the Oilers.

So as perfect and fun as a fit as this might be, the timeline, potential return and the financial situation make this more of an offseason idea than a trade-deadline idea.