Edmonton Improves Their Blueline: Mattias Ekholm Acquired
After endless conversations about the defense problem in Edmonton, the Oilers have finally acquired a new defenseman. Mattias Ekholm of the Nashville Predators is being moved, along with a 6th-round pick to Edmonton in exchange for Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a 2023 1st-round pick, and a 4th-round pick announced on February 28th, 2023.
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Defenseman Mattias Ekholm currently has five goals and 13 assists throughout 57 games for a total of 18 points. As a former 4th-round pick, Ekholm has turned into a solid player on the blue line and was a top player that teams were looking at in this trade deadline. Coming in at 6’4 and 215 lbs, the Oilers have a key player that is going to toughen up their team.
Tyson Barrie was a crucial piece in the Oilers’ powerplay unit which has been ranked #1 this season. Barrie has 43 points in 61 games causing him to be Edmonton's highest-scoring defenseman. Being drafted to Colorado in the third round, Tyson Barrie is now going to his fourth team after previously playing for the Avalanche, Maple Leafs, and Oilers.
Reid Schaefer - The Oilers’ last first-round pick in 2022- will now probably never get a chance at playing for his hometown team that he has dreamed of due to this trade. Schaefer is currently playing for the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL where he has 47 points in only 44 games for an average of 1.06 points per game.
With Edmonton not having much cap space to play with going into this season, the Oilers had to get creative. Earlier on February 28th, it was announced that Jesse Puljujarvi was traded one-for-one for Hurricanes prospect Patrik Puistola. This small trade was to get rid of Puljujarvi’s $3 million contract and make room for Ekholm’s $6.25 million contract. Nashville will be retaining 4% of Ekholm's contract.
With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers have always been known as Stanley Cup contenders, but this trade could boost their odds. The Predators are also getting a solid defenseman and a top prospect, along with picks in return. So the real question here is, who do you think fared better in this trade?