In a trade that occurred just as Free Agency opened up, the Oilers traded D Ethan Bear to the Carolina Hurricanes for W Warren Foegele. Foegele is a 25-year-old, 6’2, 198 lbs winger that brings a responsible and hard-working game to a team’s middle-6. He’s a strong contributor at both ends of the ice and brings a skill set capable of producing offense in a variety of roles.
Full disclosure before getting into this: Warren Foegele is a bit of a favorite of mine. He’s a player I’ve followed and enjoyed for a few years and is someone I firmly believe will endear himself to the Oilers fanbase. In light of this, I’ll do my best to keep my analysis reasonable and unbiased, but that’s not always an easy thing to do!
Who is Warren Foegele and what does he bring to the Oilers?
Foegele posted his 3rd straight double-digit goal season (10, 13, 10) last year alongside 10 assists in 53 games on a stacked Carolina team. With 1.6 pts/60 and 1.94 pts/60 over the past two seasons, Foegele’s offense suggests a player that’s a capable offensive player. Worth noting about Foegele’s offense is that none of it comes on the powerplay. Alongside the signing of Zach Hyman, it seems clear the Oilers are prioritizing adding forwards who can be relied on to score at even strength.
Speaking of even strength, Foegele is a solid possession player, even when compared to his elite team. With positive relative scoring chances (+1.0%) and expected goals for (+2.23), Foegele doesn’t seem to be a drag on his team’s ability to control play while playing more of a defensive role. Further, Foegele brings a solid physical game (5.35; 7th behind Chiasson) and generates shots at a strong rate (7.67; 5th behind Puljujarvi). While he gets in position for scoring chances at a high rate (2nd on the Canes at 9.8/60), he does have difficulty finishing those chances.
Warren Foegele, acquired by EDM, is a good two-way middle six forward whose only real weakness is finishing - despite that, he still scores at a decent rate because he gets high-quality chances. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/NpVg7TWMaq
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 28, 2021
The picture these stats paint is much the same picture as the one he’s painted throughout his career as these are trends that have followed him from his time in the AHL and OHL. He has always been a strong possession player that attacks the net and engages in the hard areas of the ice. Having a player of this type will give Tippett a number options in how he deploys his forward group.
What else has he got going for him?
Finally, I feel it’s worth noting as this seems to be something of a recurring theme in the Oilers’ offseason so far: Foegele brings a number of valuable intangibles. He’s a hard-working, high-energy guy that seems to be well-liked everywhere he has gone.
While it’s impossible for me to say anything concrete in this respect given my lack of inside knowledge of the team, I believe there is merit in the consideration Holland is paying to the human/psychological side of building a winning team. I’ll look forward to seeing how this focus plays out!
In conclusion, I believe the acquisition of Warren Foegele is a quality move, despite the cost. He brings so much of what you should want when building out the middle of your roster. Perhaps this is my bias kicking in but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Foegele end up on McDavid’s line in the future.
While I’m sure this trade has taken its toll on many Oilers fans, I ask that you keep an open mind to the possibility that Warren Foegele can become every bit the fan-favorite that Ethan Bear became.
What are your thoughts on the move? Let me know down below!