An eventful Sunday is capped off with the trade that most all of Oil Country has been wanting and anticipating for months: The Cody Ceci cap dump trade. Late Sunday, the Edmonton Oilers announced the acquisition of defender Ty Emberson from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round draft pick.
This trade is less about the hockey side of things and more about the cap implications. Emberson carries a $950K cap hit into next season, significantly less than Ceci’s $3.25M. But, the impressive part is the amount given up for the Sharks to eat this cap hit. Just a third-round pick was required in addition to make this work, and the Oilers still got a somewhat useful defender in return.
Who is Ty Emberson?
Emberson is not yet a household name, but he does have a solid track record and a fairly impressive debut in the NHL last season. Coming from the US, he played through the US junior national team program for the U17 and U18 teams. From there, he was drafted in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Arizona Coyotes.
Following the draft, Emberson spent three seasons with the University of Wisconsin before turning pro.
Still with the Coyotes organization at the time, Emberson debuted in the AHL with the Tuscon Roadrunners. He had 12 points in 63 games over two seasons. Following the 2021–22 season, he was traded to the New York Rangers organization, where he spent the next season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, recording 27 points in 69 games.
Although he was re-signed by the Rangers, he was waived and claimed by the Sharks before the 2023–24 season, where he spent the year. In his first NHL season, he scored one goal with 10 total points in 30 games.
Where does Emberson fit in the Oilers lineup?
The assumption is that this trade means the Oilers will be matching Philip Broberg‘s offer sheet. Meaning Emberson will join the plethora of depth defenders fighting for NHL time and playing in the AHL.
Emberson’s age, as he is just 24 at the moment, and his upward trajectory in development over recent seasons, including an impressive debut with the Sharks last season despite the team around him being the worst in the league.
As a right-shot defender, it likely means Emberson will be competing for the third line defender spot, or the seventh defender spot, with Josh Brown and Troy Stecher. He may not be the most offensively inclined, though 0.3 points per game is not awful from a bottom-pair defender, but he does contribute elsewhere on the scoresheet with an average of over three hits and one block per game last season. Perfect for a depth defender.
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