The Edmonton Oilers have been trying to finalize their roster as they head toward opening night of the 2024-25 regular season, and one player is standing out in a big way. Ty Emberson was acquired by the Oilers from the San Jose Sharks this offseason in exchange for Cody Ceci and a third-round pick in what was seen as a ‘cap dump’ trade as they tried to free up some extra money, but has the potential to be an elite-level defender despite only having played 30 games in the NHL.
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In a recent segment posted to X (formerly Twitter), reporter Tony Brar spoke about Emberson’s training camp so far and how impressive he has looked, specifically mentioning his hockey IQ and vision standing out. With just one goal and nine assists through his rookie campaign with the Sharks last season, his defensive game stood out in a big way as he was able to block shots, stabilize his defensive pairing, and keep the puck out of the Sharks’ net pretty well despite them being the worst team in the league.
The competition for the fourth centre spot and on the blueline heats up as the #Oilers face a veteran lineup in Winnipeg. @TonyBrarOTV has your @trulyseltzer pre-game refresher! pic.twitter.com/IEBx0vEAUQ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 25, 2024
Emberson will likely slot in alongside Darnell Nurse on the second pairing this season, with Brett Kulak and Josh Brown likely filling out the bottom-pairing role. Some Oilers fans were curious as to whether Emberson would be able to step into a large role right away considering his lack of experience at the NHL level, but he has shown potential and the Oilers have taken him on in a low-risk, high-reward scenario that could pay off in a big way if he can build off a strong 2023-24 season.
Who Is Ty Emberson & What Value Could He Bring to the Oilers?
Emberson is a 24-year-old right-shot defender who was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes at 73rd overall after a strong showing in the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) with the U.S. National U18 team where he scored four goals and added 23 assists for 27 points. He spent the next three seasons in the NCAA with the University of Wisconsin, being named their captain for his third season, before transitioning to the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Tucson Roadrunners.
Over 132 games in the AHL, Emberson scored 12 goals and added 27 assists for 39 points which comes out to a 0.30 points-per-game average. Emberson got his first taste of NHL action last season, and while his offensive stats don’t jump out in any way, his defensive analytics have many fans excited about what he could provide for the Oilers as they look to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
Ty Emberson, acquired by EDM, is a third-pairing stay-at-home defenceman who brings some physicality and kills penalties. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/WRpg2o4hw7
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) August 19, 2024
By no means will Emberson be able to step in and make a big impact offensively, but he should be able to stabilize Nurse who struggled a bit defensively last season. The main thing fans are excited about is that Emberson is an upgrade on Ceci, who was often criticized for his defensive inconsistency. Hopefully, Emberson can help lead the Oilers back to the Stanley Cup Final, but this time, they can experience the triumph of victory instead of the sting of defeat.
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