There are 96 days to go, so let’s continue the countdown with Jayden Grubbe — the only Edmonton Oilers player to wear number 96 even though uh… he hasn’t worn the number?

His number on the team site is listed at 96. Work with me here.

Like I said… work with me here!

Jayden Grubbe’s time in Edmonton has been short thus far. The team acquired him from the New York Rangers for a fifth-round pick on May 31st. The move, at least at the time, was a bit of a head-scratcher.

He just wrapped up his final season with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels scoring 18 goals and 67 points in 64 games, but was reportedly to go unsigned by the Rangers, who drafted him in the third round of the 2021 draft.

Our own Bruce Curlock opined that Grubbe “does have some potential to score more with the release highlighted above,” but that “it will be incumbent on him to get into spots to use it before being defended.”

Above all else, he noted that the ceiling on Grubbe was higher than that of Noah Philp, who the Oilers had signed ahead of last season. Ironically enough, it’s likely because of Philp the Oilers went and acquired Grubbe — a right-shot center himself.

Just two weeks after the trade, it was announced that Philp was retiring. And now, for the Bakersfield Condors next season, they have another right-shot center who could likely play on the Oilers’ fourth-line in the future.

But before we put the cart before the horse, we need to see what Grubbe can do at the AHL level. He’s a good defensive center, but seeing his scoring rates improve at the AHL level, as Curlock mentioned, will be critical to seeing what the Oilers truly have here.

Nonetheless, the fifth round pick the Rangers acquired in the deal was used to select Swedish defenceman Rasmus Larsson, who is undoubtedly further away from a pro career than Grubbe.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.