5 things to know about Oilers new potential prospect Paul Fischer

It's likely tough for a lot of Edmonton Oilers fans to be optimistic about losing Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to the St. Louis Blues. Of the two, we would argue Broberg is the bigger loss because of his upside, but he was also twice as costly as Holloway if they were to match the Blues' offer sheet.

We believe general manager Stan Bowman and the rest of the front office should have matched the offer for Holloway, but that's a discussion for another day. Besides, going on comments made by the player himself, the Oilers didn't seem particularly serious about him remaining in Edmonton anyway.

Anyway, returning to the optimism (or lack thereof), the Oilers received the Blues' 2025 second and third round draft picks as compensation for the duo - standard for such a scenario. However, as per TSN, as a 'bonus' Edmonton also received St. Louis' 2028 draft selection, along with the rights for blue liner Paul Fischer.

This of course led to the question of Oilers fans asking who Fischer is? Here are five things to know about their new potential prospect:

1) Fischer played for the Chicago Mission, one of the premier AAA youth hockey programs in the United States. His most notable season with them came in 2019-20 with the under-14 team, as he recorded 18 points and 14 penalty minutes in 17 games.

International experience

2) The 19-year-old has invaluable experience at the international level with the United States under-17 and 18 teams. Undoubtedly the highlight of his international career to date, was winning Gold with the under-18 team at the 2023 IIHF World U18 Championships.

3) Fischer was selected by the Blues in the fifth round -- 138th overall -- of the 2023 NHL entry draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. However, as already referenced, he has yet to sign an NHL contract.

4) The River Forest, Illinois native has just completed his first season in NCAA, at the University of Notre Dame. In 34 games with the Fighting Irish, he produced 16 points, 30 penalty minutes and a -3 rating.

5) In respect of Fischer's scouting report, he is regarded as a no-nonsense presence on the blue line who keeps things simple. He plays a physical game with his already big but still developing 6 ft 1, 201 pound frame, and has the makings of a shutdown defenceman.

Overall, Fischer certainly seems like an intriguing prospect, albeit there is no way of knowing at this stage if he will end up as a member of the Oilers organisation. He cannot be signed to an NHL deal until he finishes at university, with him set to play at least one more season with the Fighting Irish.

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