The Edmonton Oilers have been in desperate need of a spark, and they may have found it from an unexpected source.
Since being recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Nov. 21, rookie winger Connor Clattenburg has made his presence felt on a struggling team of veterans.
In just three games, Clattenburg has already scored, fought, and bulldozed everything in his path. Edmonton is 2-1-0 with Clattenburg in its lineup, including a 4-0 victory over the host Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday (Nov. 29).
After an embarrassing effort in an 8-3 home loss to the Dallas Stars on Nov. 25, the Oilers responded against Seattle with their best performance of the season, as every single member of the team played with the same level of intensity that Clattenburg has exhibited during his brief time in the NHL thus far.
Clattenburg Having Huge Impact in Limited Minutes
As Edmonton staggered to a 10-10-5 record over its first 25 games this season, too many Oilers forwards have too often gone through games unnoticed. And that’s exactly why Clattenburg has stood out.
The 6-foot-4 forward has played just over 25 minutes total and managed to rack up 11 penalty minutes, 14 hits, and three blocked shots while drawing three penalties. He scored his first career goal, against Dallas on Nov. 25, when he was the only Oiler who played with any spirit.
Per 60 minutes, Clattenburg ranks second in both penalties taken (9.46) and penalties drawn (7.09), fourth in goals (2.40), and fourth in hits (33.09) among all NHL skaters.
Clattenburg Makes Statement by Fighting Gaudreau
With just over seven minutes remaining in Edmonton’s victory over Seattle on Saturday, Clattenburg got tangled up with Kraken centre Frederick Gaudreau and decided to drop his gloves. It was over quickly, with Gaudreau on the ice.
Gaudreau is the furthest thing from a scrapper: in his previous 420 career regular season games, the 32-year-old had amassed just 46 penalty minutes and never fought. Clattenburg probably didn’t know that, nor did he care. And that’s the essence of Clattenburg: He plays every shift with the same intensity and treats everyone wearing the opposition’s jersey with equal malice.
Clattenburg Made Impression in Preseason
None of this comes as a surprise to those who watched Clattenburg absolutely wreak havoc during Edmonton’s Rookie Camp and the NHL preseason or have kept up with his AHL exploits.
Related: 3 Oilers Prospects Who Stood Out in Rookie Game Against Flames
In a Rookie Camp exhibition game between the Oilers and Calgary Flames at Rogers Place on Sept. 12, Clattenburg fought twice, scored once, and was the player everyone left the rink talking about.
Then, just over a week later, in his NHL preseason debut, Clattenburg notched a goal and got into a scrap with Calgary blueliner Nick Cicek as Edmonton blanked the host Flames 3-0 at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Clattenburg ended up dressing for three preseason games with the Oilers before being assigned to Bakersfield for the start of 2025-26. In 15 games with the Condors, Clattenburg recorded one goal, one assist, and a team-leading 59 penalty minutes. Despite not having played a game for the Condors in nearly two weeks, he still ranks sixth in the AHL in penalty minutes.
Clattenburg Is Exactly Who the Oilers Need
The Oilers likely weren’t expecting Clattenburg to be part of their lineup this early in his career. He was largely viewed as a project when they drafted him 160th overall in June 2024. At that point, he had just turned 19 and was coming off his second full season of major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), split between the Soo Greyhounds and Flint Firebirds.
Even going into this season, Clattenburg had exactly one professional game under his belt: he suited up for the Condors at the end of 2024-25 after Flint was eliminated from the OHL playoffs.
But after forwards Noah Philp and Curtis Lazar both were sidelined with upper-body injuries during Edmonton’s recent marathon seven-game road trip, the Oilers were desperate for warm bodies, and the call went out to Clattenburg, who made his NHL debut in a victory against the Florida Panthers on Nov. 22.
Now, because of the misfortune of injuries, the Oilers have had the good fortune to discover the exact kind of player they’ve been missing. He’s been an injection of intensity into a lifeless lineup, and it seems to be rubbing off on others: the Oilers had as many fights in Seattle on Saturday as they did in their first 25 games combined.
Clattenburg Could Be Sticking With Oilers
Clattenburg could be in Edmonton to stay, too. Even if the rookie hadn’t been making an impact, the Oilers’ ongoing injury woes at forward (Philp is now on long-term injured reserve, Kasperi Kapanen appears to have suffered a setback in his recovery, Jack Roslovic is expected to be out until around Christmas) mean that they’ll be keeping Clattenburg around for a while longer, anyway.
The Oilers return to action Tuesday (Dec. 2) when they host the surging Minnesota Wild. Clattenburg will probably only get 10-12 shifts, but in the handful of minutes he’s on the ice, he’s likely to do something that will bring the Rogers Place faithful to their feet.
