Mike Babcock pushes Oilers GM to make a trade, with one player on his radar

The Edmonton Oilers want to get tougher, and the push is coming from behind the bench.

Head coach Mike Babcock has been lobbying inside the organization for a heavier forward group, and GM Stan Bowman is now looking into what the trade market can offer, according to Frank Seravalli of Sportsnet.

In plain terms, the coach has made his case to the front office and the GM is now doing the legwork.

Seravalli says Babcock is believed to admire Rangers forward Matt Rempe, a 24-year-old who stands 6-foot-9 and weighs 270 pounds.

The price is believed to be a mid-round pick.

Rempe is in the second year of a two-year deal worth $975,000, and he is eligible for waivers.

He is represented by Gerry Johansson, who also represents Oilers forwards Colton Dach and Matthew Savoie.

New York has barely used him.

Rempe has five goals and 11 points with 154 penalty minutes through 87 career games, and he has dressed just twice this season, fighting Tampa Bay's Jeffrey Viel in one of them.

Both Peter Laviolette and Mike Sullivan have struggled to find the right role for him.

Seravalli stressed that this isn't really about adding a fighter.

The thinking is that a player like Rempe could make rivals think twice before getting physical with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

He also pointed out that the bottom of the Oilers forward group is full of similar players, so a different look could change the pace.

Babcock arrived this summer after Kris Knoblauch was fired, and now his wish list is part of the trade conversation.

No deal has been reported, and Rempe is only one possible fit, but the coach has made his preferences very clear to management.

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