Oilers new defenceman praised as an under the radar find

The Oilers trade to send Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Ty Emberson is being called a home run by analysts at The Hockey News. Emberson is only 24 years old with 30 NHL games played, but he could play a big role for the Oilers this year.

According to scouting reports, Emberson plays a solid two-way game that gave him some success on an awful team in San Jose. He was able to score 10 points in 30 games and could deliver a good breakout pass. The Hockey News also noted Emberson's value as physical player. He registered 94 hits last year, and over the course of 82 games, that rate would have had Emberson as the leading hitter on the Oilers.

Emberson averaged 1:06 of penalty kill minutes a game last season, and he could definitely see some special teams time in Edmonton after losing Vincent Desharnais and Cody Ceci. Coach Kris Knoblauch coached Emberson in the AHL a few years ago, and recently spoke about his confidence in Emberson's play on the penalty kill.

In a trade where they had to offload some salary and send Cody Ceci off the roster, the Oilers did incredibly well to get a promising young player like Emberson back in return. He'll be one of the few defenceman battling for a roster spot during the preseason beginning next week, and one of the best reasons for Oilers fans to tune in early this year.

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Source: Oilers New Trade Acquisition Was the Right Call