The Edmonton Oilers made another round of cuts on Tuesday morning, sending Reid Schaefer and Max Wanner to their respective WHL clubs.

Given the Oilers were just in Seattle, they left Schaefer behind to join the Thunderbirds. Wanner, meanwhile, will travel to Moose Jaw to join the Warriors.

 

This was Schaefer’s first professional training camp as he was selected by the Oilers with the No. 32 overall pick at the 2022 NHL Draft. Though he’s already signed an entry-level contract, there was never any expectation that Schaefer, who just turned 19 last week, would be in the mix for an NHL gig.

Schaefer enjoyed a breakout season with the Thunderbirds last year, scoring 32 goals across 66 games, and the hope is that the 6’3″ power-forward can carry that momentum into a dominant season in Seattle. A strong start to the 2022-23 campaign will result in Schaefer getting serious consideration for Team Canada’s World Junior squad come winter.

Wanner was Edmonton’s seventh-round pick from the 2021 NHL Draft. When he was drafted, Wanner had only played 22 games in the WHL across two seasons, but he broke out in 2021-22 with 23 points in 55 regular-season games and seven points in nine playoff games.

A big, mobile, right-handed defender, Wanner is a candidate to earn an entry-level deal if he takes another step forward playing with the Warriors this season. He’ll turn 20 years old in March and will be eligible to turn pro for the 2023-24 season.