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Oilers 2026-27 Player Previews: Ty Emberson

Edmonton Oilers goalie Tristan Jarry watches as defenseman Ty Emberson battles with Vancouver Canucks forward Evander Kane (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)

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Oilers 2026-27 Player Previews: Ty Emberson

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Matt Parks | Last updated Sep 9, 2026 9:45 AM ET

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The 2026-27 season starts this month, so let’s continue our Edmonton Oilers player preview series. We looked at Max Jones and Eduards Tralmaks, and now we turn our attention to Ty Emberson.

Emberson isn’t known for his offensive prowess, recording two goals and 12 points in 72 games last season. He has 5 goals and 35 points in 178 career games. He’s a third-pairing defensive defenceman, and that’s his role. He’s reliable, and if you don’t notice him on the ice, that’s usually a good thing. Here’s his 2026-27 season preview.

Best Case Scenario

There is competition on the blue line heading into training camp. Emberson, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Spencer Stastney are competing for the final two roster spots, but only one of them will be in the top six and get consistent ice time.

The best-case scenario is that Emberson wins that job out of camp and remains in the top six. Stastney and Mukhamadullin are left shots, while Emberson is a right shot, so the latter should have the competitive advantage. However, Mukhamadullin can play both sides. So, if Emberson struggles, Mukhamadullin can step up and fill that role.

Ideally, Emberson will play at least 70 games and be a steady presence on the blue line. Offence isn’t his priority, but four goals and 15 points should be within reason. That would be his career-high in goals and points in a single season. The 26-year-old is a career minus-10 and was a minus-1 last season. If he can be a plus player, that’s a huge step forward.

The Wisconsin native also became an important penalty killer. He spent 92:33 shorthanded last season, which was sixth on the team and fourth among defencemen. However, his shorthanded ice time was down from 2024-25, when he killed 150:01. The Oilers lost Darnell Nurse this offseason, who was a key penalty killer, but replaced him with Ryan Shea. So, Emberson’s shorthanded ice time shouldn’t increase exponentially.

If he can crack 100 shorthanded minutes, that’s a win. The Oilers are expected to have a much-improved penalty kill and should use a committee approach. Everyone needs a role, and the penalty kill is a great way of establishing one.

He has physicality to his game, registering 107 hits last season. He was fourth on the team in hits and second among defencemen, while averaging 5.74 hits per 60 minutes. Nurse led the defence group in hits, but he’s no longer there. They need to find that physicality elsewhere, and Emberson can be that guy. Hopefully he can reach 150 hits. He also isn’t afraid to drop the gloves and stick up for his teammates. If he ramps up the physicality, he should force the coaching staff to keep him in the lineup.

Worst Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario isn’t egregious and won’t hinder the Oilers’ success. He’s a safe third-pairing defenceman, and we know what he is. At worst, he underperforms in training camp and becomes the seventh defenceman, losing his job to Stastney or Mukhamadullin. He’s too valuable to be placed on waivers, but it’s also not ideal to have him sitting in the press box for weeks at a time. If someone else is earning that ice time, that’s not necessarily a negative.

If he plays under 50 games and has only one goal and fewer than 10 points, that would be incredibly disappointing. Also, if he spends less than 90 minutes shorthanded and has fewer than 100 hits, he’s not doing enough to be an everyday NHL defenceman, especially considering his role. The 6-foot, 193-pounder must be a plus player. Edmonton is an offensive team, so he should be on the ice for more goals for than against. There’s no excuse. They need him to be an above-average defender and limit the scoring chances against, while also contributing at the other end, especially in transition.

Who Will Emberson Play With?

Emberson’s most common partner last season was Brett Kulak, but he got traded in December. Then, he played 224:58 with Stastney, 194:09 with Nurse, and 160:02 with Jake Walman at 5-on-5. With Kulak and Nurse gone, and Stastney likely the eighth defenceman, Walman should get a long look with Emberson on the third pair. However, Walman is primed for an elevated role, so he should get a ton of top-four minutes. So, Shea may fill that spot. As we saw last season, Emberson can play with anyone, so don’t expect that to change. The Oilers have a versatile defence group, and the pairs will constantly change throughout the season based on performance.

What should we expect from Emberson this season, and can he solidify himself in the top six? Keep following The Hockey Writers as we continue the Oilers’ player preview series.

Advanced stats courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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