Jeff Marek reveals Edmonton Oilers could bring back a former draft pick of theirs to the roster

The Edmonton Oilers are weighing whether to re-sign Connor Murphy at roughly $3.5 million. That part is straightforward enough.

But Marek added a second name that changes the entire conversation. If Murphy walks, he suggested Michael Kesselring of the Buffalo Sabres could slide into that spot.

Here is what almost nobody is connecting. Kesselring was originally drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2018, 164th overall.

The franchise developed him through the AHL system in Bakersfield before trading him away. Now they might be circling back to acquire a player they once let go.

That is not a coincidence. That is a scouting department telling the front office they already know what this player is.

The Sabres pushed Kesselring out of the lineup after their trade deadline additions. He played just 34 games this season due to injuries and ended the year as a healthy scratch.

Buffalo's coaching staff still believes in him publicly, but new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has his own vision for the blue line.

Kesselring is a restricted free agent this summer. That means Edmonton cannot simply sign him.

They would need to negotiate a trade with a Sabres front office that has no particular reason to do them any favors.

The conversation everyone else is having is about Murphy's price tag. The conversation they should be having is what happens when that deal falls apart.

A 26-year-old, 6-foot-5, right-shot defenseman making $1.4 million is exactly the profile Edmonton needs. Kesselring already knows the organization from his development years, which removes a layer of uncertainty most trade targets carry.

Stan Bowman now runs Edmonton's front office and would be the one negotiating any deal to bring Kesselring back. The organization already has internal scouting history on a player it once developed.

If Murphy re-signs, this stays quiet. If he does not, Kesselring could become the most important name of Edmonton's summer.