The Edmonton Oilers appear to be setting the table for something bigger.

General manager Peter Chiarelli pulled off a trio of trades over the past 24 hours, all of which involved dealing expiring contracts in exchange for draft picks:

• Justin Schultz to the Penguins for a 2016 third-round pick.
• Teddy Purcell to the Panthers for a 2016 third-round pick.
• Anders Nilsson to the Blues for Niklas Lundstrom and a 2016 fifth-round pick.

While Chiarelli's team appears headed towards another high first-round selection, possibly even the first overall pick, it doesn't mean he'll necessarily be heading to the podium when the picks he acquired Saturday come up at the 2016 draft.

Chiarelli added he may not be done dealing prior to Monday's trade deadline, and that the next couple of days could also be used to set the groundwork for other moves to come.

Part of the issue, the GM said, is not having had the ability to assess his roster at full strength, as centers Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Leon Draisaitl have rarely been in the lineup at the same time this season.

The potential draft-day addition of Auston Matthews would certainly create a glut of talent at the position - something that Edmonton could solve, should they be put in the situation, by using the potential excess of talent at center to fill holes elsewhere.

Defenseman Eric Gryba represents the lone impending unrestricted free agent remaining on the Oilers' roster, and is a candidate to be dealt prior to Monday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

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