When the Edmonton Oilers acquired Ty Emberson from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Cody Ceci this past offseason, nobody expected him to play a major role as soon as he arrived with his new team. While he was a bit slow getting started, he was able to find his groove and earn a permanent spot in their defensive rotation and has established himself as a strong defensive defender.
As the holiday season concludes and the new year is upon us, an insider has reported there could be interest from the Oilers in extending Emberson, as trusted insider Elliotte Friedman mentions that they could have interest in getting an extension done early in 2025.
As mentioned by The Hockey Writers’ own Jim Parsons, Friedman alluded to the Dylan Holloway & Philip Broberg situation last summer where they lost both players to an offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues, and would rather not take any chances. Friedman explains:
“…after what happened last summer to the Oilers, they’re not going to be taking any chances. So I would not be surprised to see the Oilers and Emberson engage and you and, and work on trying to get something done not long after the first. We’ll see if it happens, but that’s one I’m going to be looking for.”
Emberson, who is 24 years old, has five assists through 35 games with the Oilers this season. Throughout his career, he has scored one goal and added 14 assists for 15 points through 65 games which comes out to a 0.23 points-per-game average. He has established himself as a strong defensive defender and he has helped stabilize the Oilers’ defensive core as they look to compete for a playoff spot again and push for their first Stanley Cup since 1990.
What Could Emberson’s Extension Look Like?
The Oilers have to save as much money as possible considering they need to lock up superstar forward Connor McDavid before his contract expires at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. While McDavid’s contract will likely be the largest in NHL history, that doesn’t mean the team won’t be willing to spend a bit of money to bring back one of, if not the strongest defensive-minded defender on their roster.
It’s tough to properly predict what Emberson’s extension price will be, but it’s safe to say he will sign for less money if it means he gets some term added onto his deal. Realistically, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oilers were willing to go as long as four years on a new deal, worth as high as $2.25 million annually. Some fans may question an extension like that because he doesn’t have a ton of experience at the NHL level, but his analytics in a short time frame prove he has always been a strong defender with the potential to become even better in the right situation. Honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if he became a mainstay in the Oilers’ top-four rotation.
His lack of offensive ability could be concerning to some fans. However, with the lack of defensive consistency the Oilers have had previously, it’s nice to have a change of pace with a player like Emberson. At the end of the day, it seems to be a matter of when, not if, an extension gets done between the two sides.
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