Oilers notebook: We hardly knew ye, Reid Schaefer
“I think his skating has improved. It’s apparent that he’s done that work. He’s definitely quicker and his size (6’4” and 223 pounds) allows him to win battles where you don’t have to win races"
By Jim Matheson
Whatever happened to Reid Schaefer?
Funny you should ask.
The former Edmonton Oilers first-round draft pick, part of the trade package along with Tyson Barrie to get defenceman Mattias Ekholm from Nashville in 2023—the most impactful trade move of former GM Ken Holland’s five-year tenure here—is healthy now after shoulder surgery last season while the left-winger, 21, was playing on the top line in AHL Milwaukee.
Schaefer, who was at Rogers Place last June for games 2 and 5 of the Stanley Cup Final series against Florida, was only part of the Oilers organization for eight months but he’s never left fan status, growing up in Spruce Grove. But realistically, Schaefer, at Perry Pearn’s annual 3-on-3 pro camp here, is likely in a better place in Nashville, trying to get to the NHL, than here after two straight Cup runs by Edmonton.
But, as they say, we hardly knew ye, Reid Schaefer.
“I was a little shocked at first. I’ve been an Oilers’ fan for a long time (sweaters all around his house). I was pretty thrilled to be part of that organization but looking back, being part of the Ekholm trade it was a win-win for me,” said Schaefer, who was the 32nd overall pick in the 2022 July draft and dealt to Nashville Feb. 28, 2023.
“I think there’s more opportunity for me in Nashville, a quicker route to the NHL, where Edmonton’s in a win-now mode.
“I mean it sucked at first but looking back it’s a blessing in disguise,” said Schaefer, whose dad Jeremy played junior in Medicine Hat for Pearn and was drafted by Boston and Reid’s cousin is long-time NHLer Colin Fraser.
The Predators are clearly in transition. They signed a raft of older free-agents last summer—Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei—to try and stay Cup relevant but the bottom fell out and they missed the playoffs. They need some younger people, which could be all good for Schaefer.
Pearn, who’s had Schaefer for a few years at his summer camp, clearly sees that he’s making meaningful strides.
“I think his skating has improved. It’s apparent that he’s done that work. He’s definitely quicker and his size (6’4” and 223 pounds) allows him to win battles where you don’t have to win races,” said the long-time NHL assistant coach.
“I only see Reid in the summer time but for me there’s been significant growth in him. He’s got his dad’s personality…he’s just a nice guy. Reid has to push himself to be more of a pain to play against. If he does that, that will buy him more time and space.”
Seattle Kraken forward Alex Wennberg and Edmonton Oilers forward Reid Schaefer battle for the puck during the first period of a preseason NHL hockey game, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Seattle. Photo by Stephen Brashear /AP
Schaefer was at Nashville’s camp last fall, in his second year in their organization, when his shoulder popped out in practice. After taking time off to rehab, he went to Milwaukee for the 2024-2025 season and had 14 points in 19 games. The shoulder again popped out in an AHL game against Minnesota’s farm squad Iowa Wild in December. He opted for surgery, effectively losing a full minor-league season of assessment by the Predators, and now he starts over.
“The shoulder (issue) had been lingering for three years but it fully came out at camp…a puck battle in the corner and I kind of got cross-checked,” said Schaefer, who did get into one exhibition last fall against Tampa but he was compromised. “I was still in an arm sling. I wasn’t rockin’ at 100 per cent.
“Then on Dec. 7, it was another weird one, just a light bump. I tried a reverse hit and the shoulder came out.
“It was tough…you have such a good start to a season (AHL) and you see the NHL team struggling a bit and maybe you’re thinking of pushing off the surgery and trying to crack the Preds for a few games or half a season,” he said.
“But the surgery had to be done and now I have to prove myself again.”
Working on consistency
When and if Schaefer gets to the NHL, while counted on for offence in the minors, realistically it’ll be as 7-through-12 forward on the Preds’ roster, providing some secondary scoring. He’s been on the PP in the AHL, but also killed penalties.
“I think I can model my game after, say, a Trent Frederic, hard to play against,” said Schaefer.
He’s been working on his foot-speed, the first three strides for awhile now, but you can’t teach size.
“I think I can play a heavy, power forward role, working on consistency, night in, night out. I think they can use that in the bottom six (Predators),” said Schaefer, who has been a slow-and-steady player throughout his hockey days, so nobody should be worried about his progress.
He was an eighth-round WHL bantam draft selection.
“Yeah, my whole life I’ve been a late bloomer. You start out in junior (Seattle) and you get two points in 18 games. Every year I seem to get more comfortable, a credit to how hard I work, I try to build off every season,” said Schaefer, who had 58 points in 66 games his second season in Seattle when drafted in 2022 and 61 in 55 the season he was traded for Ekholm.
He had 21 points in 63 games as a first-year pro in Milwaukee before the 14 points in 19 last season before the shoulder surgery.
And, yes, Schaefer still looks back to his trade to the Predators as a what-just-happened-here?. Trades happen all the time in hockey, but not that often when you’re a first-round draft pick and in less than a calendar year, you’re gone for somebody else.
“I was drafted, went to Oilers development camp, then main camp and at the trade deadline I knew my name was involved in some rumours but I didn’t think much of it. Then I’m at the rink in Seattle and (SportsNet’s) Ellliotte Friedman leads off with Oilers get Mattias Ekholm for Tyson Barrie and Reid Schaefer. You have to find out from Twitter these days,” he said.
This ‘n that
Pearn runs a junior camp before the pros two-week 3-on-3 session and Wednesday morning he had Prince George Cougars’ forward Kayden Lemire, 17, with the pros because of a shortened pro turnout. The 6’4”, 195-pound local product, draft eligible next June, turned heads. Pearn said the last junior at his camp that did that was Jay Bouwmeester when playing junior for Medicine Hat. “I had all these guys coming up to me about Jay and saying ‘who’s that?’’’ said Pearn, who has run his pro camp since the late 90s…
There haven’t been any discussions with the hometown Oilers on a pro tryout for winger Noah Gregor, 27, who doesn’t have a contract after finishing last season with San Jose. But he may still get one elsewhere with NHL camps opening in a month. He made the Leafs after a camp invite a few years ago…
Another pro Pearn has really liked at his camp is Vern Fiddler’s nephew Riley Fiddler-Schultz, who played junior for the Calgary Hitmen, was undrafted but played 51 games for Buffalo’s Rochester AHL team last season with 13 goals and 26 points.