The Edmonton Oilers organization was greatly affected by the trade of Jordan Eberle, and many believe it did not benefit the team. Eberle's playoff performance in 2017 was lackluster, leaving Leon Draisaitl without much-needed support. This situation may sound familiar, even though it is now several years later.
The idea of trading Eberle had been discussed for years prior to the actual trade. Eberle's limited abilities on the ice, inconsistent play, attitude, and high salary of $6 million made him an easy target for GM Peter Chiarelli at the time. The Oilers traded Eberle for Ryan Strome, who had one 50-point season in the New York Islanders organization and was a more affordable cap hit of $2.5 million.
However, Strome did not perform as expected in Edmonton and was eventually traded to the Rangers, where he found success as a second-line center between Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Kappo Kakko. Coincidentally, he was traded for Ryan Spooner, who also did not work out in Edmonton and was eventually traded to Vancouver for Sam Gagner. Gagner later ended up in Detroit for three seasons before finally arriving in Winnipeg.
Meanwhile, Eberle proved to be a crucial player in many of the New York Islanders' playoff series. However, he was exposed during the 2021 expansion draft and ultimately chosen by the Seattle Kraken.
