There has been a lot of discussion in Oil Country recently over the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to not match the offer sheets that defenceman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway signed with the St. Louis Blues.
Broberg and Holloway’s departure leaves a bit of a hole in the Oilers lineup. Both players suited up for Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final in June and were likely to be in uniform for the opening game of the 2024-25 NHL regular season in October.
As compensation for losing Holloway and Broberg, Edmonton has been given the Blues’ second and third-round selections in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Related: Oilers Lose Broberg & Holloway to Blues’ Offer Sheets
However, in a separate transaction that was completed right after the Oilers announced they would not match the offer sheets, they acquired the rights to defenceman Paul Fischer along with the Blues’ third-round selection in the 2028 NHL Draft in exchange for future considerations.
This move, which was almost certainly a sweetener for Edmonton to not match the offer sheets, has flown a bit under the radar. Fischer, who St. Louis selected with the 138th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, is still years away from the NHL and for that matter, isn’t even under contract yet.
But the 19-year-old who is heading into his sophomore year at the University of Notre Dame is someone Oilers fans should not only be excited about as a player but will fall in love with as a person. Here are six things to know about Fischer:
He Has Tremendous Skating Ability
Pretty much every analyst who weighed on Fischer leading up to the 2023 NHL Draft highlighted the left-handed blueliner’s skating as his biggest asset, and multiple observers mentioned his ability to move the puck. Fischer, it was noted, has been coached well in skating technique, and can skate with power while maintaining great edges.
More than a year later, that continues to be the case. In an article about Fischer’s trade to the Oilers, Jacob Punturi of Sports Illustrated wrote that Fischer “is a solid skater who is even better in his own end and defending the rush.”
He Has Extensive Experience with USA Hockey
Before he began attending Notre Dame in 2023, Fischer spent two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP), appearing in a total of 180 games with the National Team, tallying 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points.
He competed in several international events, including the Under-17 Four Nations Tournament, Under-18 Five Nations Tournament and Under-18 Four Nations Tournament.
The Illinois native was a member of the United States’ gold-medal-winning team at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship in Switzerland, recording one point and registering a plus-3 rating in seven games.
He’s Competing for a World Juniors Roster Spot
Fischer played at the 2024 World Junior Summer Showcase, which took place from July 26 – Aug. 3 in Plymouth, Michigan, featuring teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States.
The event served as an evaluation for athletes seeking to make their respective national teams for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, set for Dec. 26, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025, in Ottawa.
Appearing in three games, Fischer had two points, both of them assists, which he picked up in Team USA Blue’s 7-2 victory over Sweden on July 28.
He’s Carrying on a Family Legacy at Notre Dame
Fischer’s uncle, Mike Gearen, was a member of the first Notre Dame team to compete in NCAA Division 1 hockey in 1968-69. In a touching video narrated by Fischer, the current Fighting Irish blueliner talks about wearing the same number as his uncle.
“I saw a picture of him skating for Notre Dame, I saw the number 16 on his shoulder, and I just decided right there that’s who I wanted to be and that’s the legacy I wanted to carry on,” Fischer says in the video.
“He was one of the first calls after I committed to Notre Dame, and I told him I was going to be wearing No. 16, and I could hear over the phone his smiles and his laughter. He’s always a guy who loves to smile and laugh so that was pretty special to hear and I was just super blessed to be able to do that.”
His Favourite Player Is a Former Oiler
Fischer grew up in River Forest, a 15-minute drive from the United Center, home of the Chicago Blackhawks. Not surprisingly, the Hawks were the team he rooted for, and his favourite players were defencemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.
One of the greatest rearguards of his era, Keith spent 16 seasons in Chicago, beginning in 2005, the year that Fischer was born. Keith was a member of three Stanley Cup championship teams with the Blackhawks, in 2010, 2013 and 2015 when he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
On July 12, 2021, Keith was traded to Edmonton, where he spent the final season of his career with the Oilers. In 2022 he helped them advance to the conference final for the first time in 16 years.
His Prized Possession Is a Stuffed Animal
After Fischer was born, his mom bought him a stuffed black dog, named “Duke”, and the two have been inseparable ever since. Duke came with Fischer when he left home to be part of the USNTDP, and was set to accompany Fischer to the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville, too.
Asked during an NHL Network interview if he gets chirped by his teammates about his stuffed pal, Fischer just shrugs it off: “I’ll eat it,” he says with a big smile. “It’s Duke.”
Will Duke ever wind up in Edmonton? Not for at least another year. Fischer can’t sign an NHL contract until he concludes his collegiate career, and even then there is no guarantee he will come to terms with the Oilers. But he’s certainly someone Oilers fans will want to follow during the NCAA season.
