Oilers arguably made best trade in recent NHL history

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Liam McCormick
July 30, 2024 (4:17 PM)

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Mattias Ekholm has been one of the most important components to the Oilers success last season and in the playoffs, so much so that he's being called the best trade in the last 3 years.

Two years ago at the trade deadline, Oilers GM Ken Holland traded Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a first round pick and a fourth round pick in exchange for Mattias Ekholm. The first round pick turned out to be Predators defence prospect Tanner Molendyk. So far, none of the Oilers assets traded seem to be impact assets.

Given the fact that the Oilers return amounted to not much and Matthias Ekholm has been an elite defenceman, it may be fair to say the trade was one of the most lob sided in recent NHL history. Other contenders may include Erik Karlsson to the Penguins, Filip Hronek to the Vancouver Canucks, and perhaps Jakob Chychrun to the Washington Capitals. Still, out of all of those deals, the Oilers may have improved their most for the longest period of time, for the lowest cost.

Last season was Ekholm's first full year with the Oilers and his fit into the city and the team has been seamless. In 79 games last season, Ekholm scored 11 goals and 45 points - new career highs. The best part of his game isn't even the offence either. He's been a steady two way presence that pairs perfectly with Evan Bouchard, and turns the Oilers into a lethal 5 man unit when the top line is out with the top defence pairing. This season, Ekholm had an absurdly positive +44 rating.

Ken Holland may have made some major mistakes as GM of the Oilers, but he also had some big wins, and Mattias Ekholm is among his best transactions. With the Ekholm trade being the best in recent NHL history, and the Hyman signing being one of the best too, Holland did leave the Oilers a few quality pieces.

Source: OilersNation

Oilers Ekholm trade arguably best in NHL last three years