The Edmonton Oilers have traded 25-year-old Ryan Strome to the New York Rangers in exchange for Ryan Spooner.
Spooner, 26, was drafted 45th overall in 2010 by the Boston Bruins. He has a goal and an assist in 16 games with the Rangers this year.
Edmonton Oilers president of hockey operations and general manager Peter Chiarelli said Spooner can play either wing.
“He brings a lot of speed through the neutral zone. Very good stick, very good playmaker, a good one-timer. He’s been having some struggles with the Rangers,” Chiarelli said.
The Oilers have been searching for consistent offence outside of their “Big Three” of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
“We wanted to the change the mix of our secondary group of forwards. You talk about secondary scoring and we feel that a little more speed and a little more dynamic play would help our group,” Chiarelli said.
Strome has managed a goal and an assist in 18 games for the Oilers this season and is a -1, all while centering the third line. Last season, his first with the Oilers, he tallied 34 points in 82 games.
The Rangers retained $900,000 of Spooner’s $4-million cap hit to match Strome’s $3.1-million hit.
The Oilers are in Calgary on Saturday for the first installment of the Battle of Alberta this year. Spooner is expected to play.