An NHL writer has revealed that he believes there is a good chance the Oilers could put in a waiver claim today for a former all-star rookie and first-round pick. The Edmonton Oilers have had a wild year working the waiver wire. <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/edmonton-oilers-exact-revenge-and-claim-former-first-round-draft-pick-off-waivers-from-st-louis-blues' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>They've picked up key players</a> like Kasperi Kapanen and Alec Regula, suffering some key losses headlined by Raphael Lavoie and Travis Dermott in the process. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1876698006172401723'> </a></blockquote></div> Those moves haven't exhausted the waiver wire, however. <a href='https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/carolina-hurricanes-waive-ty-smith' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>There's a new and interesting player available</a>, one who carries real value as a young defender with a good pedigree who hasn't reached his ceiling. He hasn't been a regular this year, but his numbers suggest he's at least worth taking a deeper dive into. <a href='https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/author/caleb-kerney' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>NHL writer Caleb Kerney</a> believes the Oilers could and should take a chance on him. He's appeared in 131 NHL games, averaging 18:25 per night while scoring 49 points in that time. His rookie year was far and away his best, notching 23 points in 48 games, and averaging over 20 minutes a night. He did much of that work running a pair with P.K. Subban and Damon Severson, where he notched an eye-popping 57 percent Corsi For Percentage with Severson and 55.5 percent with Subban. The defender has also proven himself capable on the power play, averaging 2:33 minutes of ice time with the man advantage throughout the best season of his career to date. <a href='https://puckpedia.com/player/ty-smith#:~:text=Ty%20Smith%20is%20signed%20to,will%20be%2025%20years%20old.' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Still only 24 years old, carrying only a $775,000 cap hit</a>, he nonetheless remains underutilized, having played only eight games for the Carolina Hurricanes this year. He has two points in those appearances, averaging 13:40 minutes per game, including 2:39 minutes on the power play. <h3>The answer for the Oilers could be Ty Smith</h3> By now you're probably asking: Who might that be? It's Ty Smith. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1878175206029574449'> </a></blockquote></div> There is one potential hiccup in the fact that <a href='https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/player/ty-smith-8480883' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Smith</a> shoots left and would therefore be fighting for a position against Darnell Nurse, Mattias Ekholm, and Brett Kulak, but he could fit in as a depth defender or by moving to the right side. This is an extremely low-cost, reasonable reputational acquisition with significant upside for the Oilers to take seriously. GM Stan Bowman should be continuing to work the waiver wire. Smith could be the next smart move.