Emberson Contract Change Ideal Timing for Oilers Amid Salary Cap News

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ty Emberson reached a key career milestone Saturday night, playing in his 80th NHL game. As a result, he will become a restricted free agent (RFA) this summer rather than a Group 6 unrestricted free agent (UFA), according to PuckPedia. This change in his contract secures the Oilers’ control over Emberson’s extension negotiations, preventing him from testing the open market. This is huge, as news of a rising salary cap has been a major point of conversation over the past several days.

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Emberson has quietly become an important part of Edmonton’s blue line this season. He often goes unnoticed, and while he’s not scored a goal, he’s appeared in 50 games, posted nine assists, 70 blocked shots, and 78 hits in just under 15 minutes of ice time per game. He isn’t known for his offensive production, but his defensive reliability has made him a valuable asset.

So too, he has significantly improved the team’s penalty kill. There is a nearly remarkable 68% decrease in goals against when he is on the ice and his ability to break up cycles, defend passing lanes, and move the puck out of his own zone has not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff and team management.

The Oilers Want to Get Him Signed Right Away

The timing of last week’s salary cap estimates and Emberson’s contract change are impeccable. As the ceilings each season are expected to jump, the fact the Oilers now have a defenseman under team control means not worrying about an overpayment from another team.

Emberson was likely never going to get a home run deal, but it stands to reason a team would give him a Desharnais-like contract in free agency. The Vancouver Canucks jumped on the chance to overpay Desharnais and regretted doing so almost immediately. They traded the big defenseman to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In fairness, there were reasons to like the big man. But Emberson is light years better, and new money will do weird things to GMs. Emberson would have been an attractive depth add for slightly too much money.

The Oilers no longer have to worry about that.

Still, they want to get a deal done. Speculation is that the Oilers have already begun negotiations with Emberson, and a three-year deal worth around $1.5 million per season seems like a number that might work for both sides. Frankly, the longer, the better.

With the NHL salary cap expected to rise significantly in the coming years, locking Emberson into a long-term, team-friendly deal would be a wise move for Edmonton.

Emberson is Found Money for Edmonton

Emberson’s emergence is even more impressive, considering the trade that brought him to Edmonton. Acquired in mid-August from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick, Emberson has been everything the Oilers could have asked for and more. It’s arguably one of the team’s best trades since adding Mattias Ekholm because it upgraded their defense and freed up $2 million in cap space.

While rumors earlier in the season suggested an extension was imminent, nothing has been finalized. Expect the Oilers to get back on this given the news of the salary cap estimates. Given his strong defensive play and cost-effective cap hit, the Oilers should prioritize securing Emberson’s services. He’s proven himself and a strong playoff performance will only up his value.

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