Oil Country was rocked on Friday (Dec. 12) with the news that the Edmonton Oilers had dealt goalie Stuart Skinner, defenceman Brett Kulak, and a second-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins for netminder Tristan Jarry and forward Samuel Poulin.
The blockbuster trade made headlines across the hockey landscape, and sucked up all the oxygen in Edmonton, where the Oilers/Penguins goaltender swap was all anyone wanted to talk about.
Amid all this chatter, it was easy to overlook that the Oilers made a second move at the same time on Friday, acquiring Spencer Stastney from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick.
Related: Oilers Acquire Tristan Jarry & Spencer Stastney In Multiple Trades
While Edmonton’s trade with the Predators completely flew under the radar, the acquisition of Stastney is significant, given the Oilers now need to fill the void left by Kulak. The 31-year-old Kulak ranked third in time on ice among Oilers defenceman this season, playing just under 18 minutes per game.
So, who exactly is Stastney? Here are four things to know about the 6-foot, 184-pound, 25-year-old blueliner from Woodridge, Illinois.
He Was Drafted in 2018
At American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 23, 2018, Nashville selected Stastney in the fifth round of the NHL Draft, taking him with the 131st-overall pick. At that time, Stastney was coming off a season with the United States National Under-18 Team and was about to enter his freshman year at the University of Notre Dame.
In pre-draft rankings by some of the leading analysts, Stastney appeared anywhere from No. 73 to No. 151. The American defenceman landed at No. 93 on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters.
Incredibly, Stastney is now the fourth 2018-drafted defenceman on Edmonton’s roster, joining Evan Bouchard (first round, No. 10), Alec Regula (third round, No. 67), and Ty Emberson (third round, No. 73).
He Spent Four Years in College
Before turning pro, Stastney played all four seasons of his college eligibility with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s hockey team. From 2018-19 to 2021-22, he appeared in 143 games, totalling 63 points from 16 goals and 47 assists, and 39 penalty minutes.
Stastney was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection (2019-2020, 2020-21, 2021-22) and a two-time All Big Ten selection (Second Team in 2020-2021, Honourable Mention in 2021-22). As a freshman in 2018-19, he helped the Fighting Irish capture the Big 10 Championship while being named Big Ten All-Tournament Team.
In his senior season, 2021-22, Stastney served as an alternate captain of the team and led the Fighting Irish with a plus/minus rating of plus-18.
He Made His NHL Debut in 2023
Right after concluding his collegiate career, Stastney joined the Milwaukee Admirals, Nashville’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, and played his first pro game on April 16, 2022, against the Iowa Wild.
The blueliner made his NHL regular-season debut nearly a year later, on April Fool’s Day 2023, suiting up for Nashville in a 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Stastney appeared in seven more games with the Predators at the end of the 2022-23 season, but it was another several months before he finally lit the lamp for Nashville.
Stastney’s first NHL career goal was a memorable one, coming on the road against the Blues on Nov. 24, 2023. Joining the rush, he took a feed in the slot from forward Luke Evangelista and ripped the puck past Blues goaltender Joel Hofer at 2:45 of the second period, potting the game-winning goal in Nashville’s 8-3 victory at Enterprise Center.
He’s Never Played in Edmonton
Stastney has now played in 81 career NHL games, including 30 with the Predators this season, totalling 18 points from three goals and 15 assists, and 20 penalty minutes. He’s also suited up for three Stanley Cup Playoff games in the first round of the 2024 postseason.
The 25-year-old, however, has never played at Rogers Place. In fact, he never even appeared in a single game against the Oilers, home or away, whether in the preseason, regular season, or playoffs.
Now he could be wearing an Oilers jersey, possibly as soon as Saturday (Dec. 13) evening when Edmonton visits the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena in a much-anticipated game on Hockey Night in Canada. His first opportunity to play a home game for his new team is on Dec. 23, when Edmonton hosts the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place.
