Get to Know New Oilers Forward Eduards Tralmaks

The Edmonton Oilers made a big splash when free agency opened on July 1. They added a trio of NHL veterans in winger Mathieu Joseph, defenceman Ryan Shea and Stanley Cup champion goaltender Frederik Andersen, while re-signing forwards Max Jones and Kasperi Kapanen. To top it off, the Oilers were involved in the biggest trade of the day, sending blueliner Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Shakir Mukhamadullin and the rights to Zachary Sharp, both defencemen.

Edmonton made one other move, inking Eduards Tralmaks to a one-year, two-way contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $850,000, although it went virtually unnoticed amid the flurry of activity.

So now that the dust has settled, it feels like a good time to learn a bit more about Tralmaks, a 29-year-old forward who stands 6-foot-3 and tips the scales at 229 pounds.

Growing up in Latvia

Tralmaks was born on Feb. 17, 1997, in Riga, Latvia. As a youth in his hometown, he played for SK Riga’s teams.

In 2013, Tralmaks helped SK Riga win the Latvian U18 league championship. The 16-year-old then moved to the United States to be part of the Boston Bandits junior hockey club.

Success With Boston Bandits

Tralmaks enjoyed great success during his three years in Boston. The Latvian was one of the leading scorers on the Bandits team that captured the Eastern Junior Elite Prospects League (EJEPL) 18U division championship for the 2014-15 campaign.

He then moved up to the Bandits’ top team, which competes in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL), and was named 2015-16 EHL Most Valuable Player and Forward of the Year after totalling 28 goals and 27 assists in 40 regular-season games.

Clark Cup Champion

For his final year of junior hockey, Tralmaks joined the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL) and proceeded to lead the team to its first Clark Cup championship, winning playoff MVP in the process.

After scoring 11 times in 46 games during the 2016-17 regular season with the Steel, Tralmaks erupted for 10 goals over 14 playoff contests, tying the record for most goals in a single USHL postseason.

Four Seasons of College Hockey

From 2017 to 2021, Tralmaks attended the University of Maine, where he played four seasons of NCAA Division 1 men’s hockey for the Black Bears, totalling 39 goals and 43 assists over 119 games.

Following his senior season, Tralmaks signed a contract with the Providence Bruins, the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Boston Bruins, on March 18, 2021, marking the start of his pro career.

First AHL Stint

Over parts of three AHL seasons, Tralmaks appeared in 89 games for Providence, scoring 22 goals and registering 19 assists.

After suiting up for 28 games with the AHL Bruins in the 2022-23 regular season, plus another three in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs, Tralmaks elected to return to his home continent, joining the Kladno Knights of the Czech Extraliga.

Reinvigorated in Czechia  

The move to Kladno ultimately proved a wise one for Tralmaks. In his first season playing in Czechia’s top league, the Latvian totalled 21 goals and 11 assists over 52 games. His 12 power-play goals were the most in the Czech Extraliga in 2023-24.

Tralmaks increased his overall productivity significantly with Kladno in 2024-25. Over 48 games, he recorded 23 goals and 28 assists for a league-leading 51 points. The Detroit Red Wings took notice and signed him to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season.

Return to the AHL

Tralmaks played 64 games for Detroit’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, in 2025-26. He totalled 42 points and ranked second on the team in both goals (26) and plus/minus (plus-29).

Late in the season, he was recalled by the Red Wings under emergency conditions but never suited up for a game with the NHL club and was quickly reassigned to Grand Rapids.

Stellar International Career

Tralmaks has represented Latvia at the highest levels on several occasions, going back to when he was still a teenager at the 2015 IIHF U18 World Championship and 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.

He has really stepped up his performance on the international stage in the last couple of years, however. It started at the World Championship in 2025, when he led his team with seven points in seven games, and continued at the 2026 Olympic Games in Italy, where he tied for the team lead with four points in four games. He was only able to join Team Latvia for its final three games at the recent 2026 World Championship in Switzerland, but still managed to rack up six points.

The Book on Tralmaks

Grand Rapids head coach Dan Watson was effusive in his praise of Tralmaks, noting the big forward’s reputation for being a great team guy.

“He keeps the room light and is one of those guys who likes to have fun inside the locker room,” Watson said during the 2025-26 season. “A true team guy, and then on the ice he’s got a physical presence. A big guy who has no problem understanding how to get to the net. He has a good shot and is a guy we need offensively, but even his understanding of the defensive side of the game is improving. We need that big, physical presence on the forecheck, around the net, and contributing to our offensive-zone numbers right now.”

Chasing the NHL Dream

Looking at Tralmaks’ resume, it’s almost impossible to believe that he has never had the opportunity to play in even just a single NHL regular-season game. The 29-year-old is very clear about his objective, saying last season that “The bottom line is, my whole life, I’ve been battling to get an opportunity to play in the NHL,” and “At the end of the day, the goal is to play at least one game in the NHL.”

Could Edmonton be the place where Tralmaks finally gets his shot? Oilers training camp is only about 10 weeks away, and Tralmaks just might be the sleeper player to watch.