The Edmonton Oilers have acquired defenseman Mattias Ekholm and a 2024 sixth-round choose from the Nashville Predators in trade for a 2023 first-round choose, defenseman Tyson Barrie, ahead Reid Schaefer and a 2024 fourth-round choose, the groups introduced Tuesday. Right here’s what you have to know:
- Ekholm, 32, has 5 targets and 13 assists in 57 video games this season.
- He has one other three years on his deal after this one at a $6.25 million common annual worth. The Predators will retain 4 % of Ekholm’s remaining cap hit/wage by the 2025-26 season.
The Ekholm commerce is official:
To EDM:
Mattias Ekholm
2024 sixth-round chooseTo NSH:
Tyson Barrie
Reid Schaefer
2023 first-round choose
2024 fourth-round chooseNashville retains 4 % of Ekholm’s $6.25M cap hit ($250K per season) by 2025-26.
— Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) February 28, 2023
The Athletic’s prompt evaluation:
Backstory
Ekholm has spent his complete 12-year profession with Nashville, who chosen him within the fourth spherical of the 2009 NHL Draft.
Edmonton (32-21-8) is third within the Pacific Division and Nashville (29-22-6) sits fifth within the Central Division getting into Tuesday.
Why Edmonton made the deal
The Oilers badly wanted a legit top-four defenseman. They acquired that with out query in Ekholm, who represents not simply an improve however a major one. Ekholm can have main penalty-killing tasks and tackle robust matchups, assuaging the stress off Darnell Nurse on the left facet within the course of.
Barring one other commerce, Philip Broberg is a main candidate to maneuver over to the best facet to switch Barrie. Broberg, a lefty, performed the best facet all through his professional days in Sweden and has some expertise there on the AHL and NHL ranges. — Nugent-Bowman
GO DEEPER
Why Mattias Ekholm is a big addition for an Oilers team that needs to win now
What Barrie’s departure means for the Oilers
With Barrie out of the image, the quarterbacking position on the NHL’s high power-play unit now belongs to Evan Bouchard. He has been the secondary choice to Barrie, typically appearing as even the teaching workers’s 1A alternative. Barrie was the highest canine, although.
If Bouchard, a pending restricted free agent, can’t deal with the job, search for the Oilers’ push for Sharks defenceman Erik Karlsson to accentuate in June. — Nugent-Bowman
Required studying
- Evaluating your Edmonton Oilers trades for Jakob Chychrun, Mattias Ekholm and more
- NHL trade grades: Oilers bolster defense with Mattias Ekholm addition
(Photograph: Matt Krohn / USA Right now)
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