Oilers interim GM hopes to be buyer at trade deadline

Despite recording just three wins in their last 10 games, the Edmonton Oilers aren't ruling themselves out of the playoff picture.

The club has fallen to 13th place in the Western Conference but remains just six points out of the final wild-card spot. The tight playoff race has interim general manager Keith Gretzky hopeful the team will be in a position to add ahead of the Feb. 25 trade deadline.

"Hopefully, we're buying," Gretzky said, according to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. "We're six points out with a game in hand. We're not out of it. But in a (couple) weeks, we'll see where we're at."

The Oilers play six games before the deadline, including a three-game Eastern Conference road trip starting Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, Gretzky insists he won't sacrifice the team's farm system to pursue outside talent.

"We've gotta make some changes, of course," said Gretzky. "You can't say that we're the perfect team with our record. We're trying to improve it, but we're not gonna sell the farm and get a quick fix. It's gonna take a bit."

The Oilers are at risk of missing the playoffs for the 12th time in 13 years and for the second straight season since reaching the second round in 2017.