Oilers 2025-26 Report Cards: Ty Emberson

As the offseason rolls on, so do the Edmonton Oilers’ player grades. The last report card graded Max Jones, and now we turn our attention to Ty Emberson. The 6-foot, 193-pounder doesn’t get talked about enough.

This was Emberson’s second full season with the Oilers, and he continued to be a steady presence on the blue line. He found a home on the third pair and had three primary partners. He started the season alongside Brett Kulak and played 373:01 with him until the latter was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then, he played 265:33 with Spencer Stastney before the trade deadline. Finally, when the Oilers acquired Connor Murphy, Emberson was paired with Jake Walman for the remainder of the season, and they played 168:00 together.

Emberson lost his spot in the lineup last season after the trade deadline and was relegated to the seventh defenceman for the playoffs. He played only nine of Edmonton’s 22 playoff games, but he played in all six playoff games this season. He earned his spot and outplayed Stastney down the stretch to keep his job, pushing Stastney down as the seventh defenceman.

He completed the first of a two-year deal with a $1.3 million cap hit. With the salary cap continuing to rise, this was an extremely affordable contract for what he provides. The 26-year-old blueliner was a reliable, third-pairing, shutdown defenceman. He wasn’t overly noticeable, but for his role, that’s a good thing. Let’s take a look at his 2025-26 season.

2025-26 Performance

In 72 games, Emberson recorded two goals and 12 points with a minus-1 rating, averaging 15:31 per game. One of his goals was a game-winner. As a defensive-minded blueliner, he won’t be graded based on his offence. The defensive numbers are far more important.

The Wisconsin native was fourth on the team in hits and second among defencemen with 107. He averaged 5.74 hits per 60 minutes. He was also third on the team in blocked shots with 106, averaging 5.69 blocks per 60 minutes. He quietly did his job.

His advanced metrics weren’t terrible, considering his role and low-event play style. When he was on the ice at 5-on-5, the Oilers had 51.14 percent of the shots, 45.48 percent of the scoring chances, 49.56 percent of the high-danger scoring chances, and 49.25 percent of the goals, including 53.57 percent of the high-danger goals. He didn’t make egregious errors and didn’t hurt the team.

Emberson continued his solid play in the playoffs, recording one assist with a plus-1 rating, averaging 12:11 per game. His ice time should’ve been significantly higher, considering the Oilers’ defensive struggles. He was one of only seven players with a plus rating. He was fifth on the team in playoff hits and led all defencemen with 16, averaging 13.13 hits per 60 minutes. He also added six blocked shots, good for fifth on the team.

He was also an important penalty killer. He spent 92:33 of ice time shorthanded and was on the ice for 14 goals against. However, he was seldom used on the penalty kill during the playoffs. He played just 1:13 and was on the ice for just one scoring chance against, and zero shots. The Oilers’ penalty kill was putrid in the series against the Anaheim Ducks, which ultimately cost them. Emberson was a lone bright spot on the penalty kill, so it was surprising to see how little he played.

Overall Grade

Emberson has been as consistent as it gets. Last season, he earned a C, but his underwhelming, limited playoff action brought his grade down. While it was short-lived, his playoff performance was much improved this season. He took a step forward and provided quality minutes given his role.

Despite taking on a larger role in the playoffs, he also gets a C grade for this season. His advanced stats were average, and his campaign was similar to last season. He didn’t play enough playoff games to justify a higher grade.

Do you agree with his grade? Keep following The Hockey Writers as we continue the Oilers’ player report cards throughout the offseason.

Advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.