The Edmonton Oilers were faced with a massive challenge last week when the St. Louis Blues tendered offer sheets to restricted free agents (RFAs) Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg. With a decision looming over who they would choose to match and bring back, they went out and made a surprise trade with the San Jose Sharks to free up some cap space. The Oilers traded defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round draft pick to the Sharks in exchange for defenseman Ty Emberson. While a Ceci trade was expected after the offer sheets came to light, the Oilers made out well for themselves by getting a defensive upgrade on the right side of the blue line and not having to retain any salary on the remainder of Ceci’s contract.
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Before Ceci was traded, some reports were circulating that the Oilers would have to attach more to any trade to move him. Whether that was a first-round pick, a second-round pick, or a high-level prospect, there was a wide belief that because of the tough situation they were in, the Oilers would lose any cap-clearing deal.
Despite this, they somehow were still able to win the trade with the Sharks and brought in a potential diamond in the rough defender in Emberson, who plays a shutdown game and could be a perfect depth defender that fans come to love. His defensive ability on a rebuilding team like the Sharks was impressive in itself, but it will be exciting to see what he can accomplish on the Oilers as they look to contend. His shot-blocking ability, defensive-minded play, and IQ on the breakout all combine to make him a strong defensive defender. With that, let’s take a deeper look at who Emberson is.
Emberson’s Impressive Junior Career
Emberson is a 24-year-old right-shot defender from Eau Claire, Wisconsin who stands 6-foot-1, 194 pounds. He spent the majority of his young junior career in the U.S. National Development Team Program (NTDP) with some time spent in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Over parts of two seasons in the USHL, he scored four goals and added 19 assists for 23 points through 59 games. Over parts of two seasons in the NTDP, he scored four goals and added 41 assists for 45 points through 118 games which comes out to a 0.38 points-per-game average. He then chose to join the University of Wisconsin in the NCAA for the 2018-19 season.
Over parts of three seasons in the NCAA, Emberson scored nine goals and added 25 assists for 34 points through 101 games which comes out to a 0.34 points-per-game average. In the 2020-21 season, he was granted the honour of representing his team as the captain. He would play in five American Hockey League (AHL) games to finish out that campaign where he scored one goal, and his professional career took off from there. Over parts of three seasons in the AHL, Emberson scored 12 goals and added 27 assists for 39 points through 132 games. With the Sharks during his rookie campaign last season, he scored one goal and added nine assists for ten points through 30 games.
Some Fun Facts & Emberson’s Fit With the Oilers
During the 2022-23 season, Emberson played with the New York Rangers’ minor-league affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. With the Wolf Pack, he established himself as a potential future stud, but it is interesting to note that his coach at the time was current Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. Now reunited with his former coach, Emberson should have a sense of comfortability joining the Oilers, as Knoblauch utilized him as one of the top defenders on his team. That same season, he was named the AHL Eastern Conference’s Best Defensive Defenseman.
As far as his fit with the Oilers this season, it’s clear he could be utilized in a large role similar to his time with the Sharks. While the Oilers are a much stronger team, Emberson proved in a short time last season that he could be someone who becomes the shutdown defender they have been looking for. While playing on the bottom pairing could be ideal for his development, there is no risk in placing him alongside Darnell Nurse on the second pairing. Either way, the Oilers have acquired a really strong defender in Emberson, and he could be someone who is looked back on as one of the biggest steals in the team’s trade history.
