The Edmonton Oilers made their NHL trade deadline splash on Tuesday by acquiring defenseman Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators, the teams announced.
The Oilers are trading defenseman Tyson Barrie, prospect Reid Schaefer, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick for Ekholm, a 32-year-old defenseman who has spent his 12-season NHL career with the Predators, and a 2023 sixth-round pick.
Ekholm is signed through the 2025-26 season with a $6.25 million cap hit. The Predators are retaining 4% of Ekholm’s remaining salary, bringing his average annual value down to $6 million.
Ekholm is a 6-foot-4 native of Sweden who can play the left or right side on defense. While best known for his play in his own zone, Ekholm can also chip in offensively, with 18 points in 57 games this season. He’s averaged more than 20 minutes per game for eight straight seasons and saw time on both the Predators’ power play and penalty kill.
Barrie, 31, is signed through next season with a $4.5 million cap hit. The 31-year-old veteran defenseman had 43 points in 61 games this season for Edmonton, averaging 19:08 in ice time.
Nashville had been looking to acquire two first-round picks for Ekholm, and that’s essentially what the Predators did here. Along with Edmonton’s first-round pick in 2023, they acquired 19-year-old Reid Schaefer, who was drafted in the first round (32nd overall) in 2022. He’s currently playing for the WHL Seattle Thunderbirds junior team.