While he’s one of the Edmonton Oilers’ most intriguing prospects, defenceman Paul Fischer is not a player well-known by fans in Oil Country.
But that’s all about to change with the 2025 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship taking place from today (Dec. 26) through Jan. 5, at Canadian Tire Centre and TD Place in Ottawa.
The Illinois native will be representing the United States at the annual under-20 tournament, and with all games being broadcast live in Canada on TSN, this will be the first chance many Oilers fans have to watch the defenceman play.
Fischer Has Flown Under the Radar
Fischer is in his second year at the University of Notre Dame, where he plays for the Fighting Irish men’s hockey team. For a number of reasons, he’s largely flown under the radar in Oil Country.
Edmonton acquired his rights only four months ago as part of a trade with the St. Louis Blues, who had drafted Fischer in the fifth round (138th overall) of the 2023 NHL Draft. As an NCAA student-athlete, Fischer has not yet signed a pro contract and did not attend Edmonton’s rookie camp in September.
Fischer’s Scouting Report
In an analysis of Team USA’s defencemen, Chris Peters of FloHockey wrote that Fischer “plays a simple game, sound positionally and physical when necessary.” Peters also notes that Fischer has a good defensive stick, engages with the body, protects his own end efficiently, makes a good first pass and gets pucks out of the zone.
Going into the 2023 NHL Draft, he drew comparisons to the likes of Boston Bruins blueliner Andrew Peeke and Carolina Hurricanes rearguard Jaccob Slavin.
As a freshman at Notre Dame, Fischer suited up for 34 games and recorded a pair of goals and 14 assists. He hasn’t scored in 18 games so far this season but is tied for second on the Fighting Irish with nine helpers. After failing to record more than two shots in a game in 2023-24, he’s already had five games with at least three shots this season.
Big Opportunity for Fischer
The World Juniors represents a huge opportunity for Fischer, who turns 20 at the end of January, just a few weeks after the conclusion of the tournament.
Related: 6 Reasons Oilers Fans Should Be Excited About New Prospect Paul Fischer
This has been a long time coming for Fischer. Before attending Notre Dame, he spent two years with the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP), appearing in 180 games with the National Team, tallying 16 goals and 41 assists for 57 points.
Fischer has previously competed in several international events, including the Under-17 Four Nations Tournament, Under-18 Five Nations Tournament and Under-18 Four Nations Tournament. He was a member of the United States’ gold-medal-winning team at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championship in Switzerland.
Americans Going for Another Gold
There are big expectations of Team USA in Ottawa. The Americans are looking to win back-to-back gold medals at the World Juniors for the first time in their country’s hockey history. At the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden, the United States defeated the hosts 6-2 in the final.
Expect to see Fischer deployed in a highly defensive role for Team USA. The six-foot blueliner will likely also see some time on the penalty kill. Team USA’s first game is today against Germany at 12:30 p.m. MST.
Fischer Could Be Sleeper Acquisition
Edmonton acquired Fischer and the Blues’ third-round selection in the 2028 NHL Draft in exchange for future considerations on Aug. 20. The trade was seen as an incentivizer for Edmonton’s decision to not match the offer sheets that defenceman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway had signed with St. Louis.
Given how well Broberg and Holloway have performed for St. Louis, the Oilers have rightly come under fire for letting the pair walk. But Fischer could turn out to be a sleeper that softens the blow, and after watching the action from Ottawa over the next couple weeks, Edmonton’s fans might be a bit more forgiving of the decision to not retain Broberg and Holloway.
