Does anyone remember “The Answer”?

The year was 2018, and two Edmonton Oilers were scoring at a record-breaking pace in the pre-season. No, it wasn’t Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. It was McDavid and Ty “The Answer” Rattie. Around this time of year, you see Ty Rattie’s name come up as an obscure answer to NHL trivia questions, so in honour of that, let’s check in on what he’s been up to.

Rattie always brought an offensive upside to his game, tallying over 100 points in a season twice with Portland in the WHL. He also eclipsed 40 points in each of his first three AHL seasons, posting 0.70 points per game with the Chicago Wolves. The 32^nd overall pick by the St. Louis Blues, Rattie couldn’t carry the scoring touch over when he was with the big club. The Blues waived him; he spent some time in Carolina’s system, returned to St. Louis, and eventually moved on during a turbulent start to his pro career. Free agency in 2017 brought him to Edmonton. He had limited time in the NHL in his first season but made the best of it, scoring nine points in 14 games, playing mainly alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid. This earned him another contract with the Oilers and led to his legendary pre-season performance the following year.

Everything seemed to go right for Rattie in the 2018 pre-season. He scored seven goals and added four assists in four pre-season games, finishing in a tie with McDavid for the NHL pre-season scoring lead. The 11 points each scored in that pre-season have held up as an unofficial NHL record, and left the Oilers’ brass had no choice but to have Rattie on the opening day roster. Oilersnation dubbed him “The Answer”, hoping that the Oilers had found a ‘diamond in the rough’ winger to play with Connor McDavid.

Rattie opened the regular season alongside McDavid, same as the pre-season, but was held to a pedestrian start. He scored a goal and added an assist in his first five games. He then sustained what was referred to as a “mid-body injury” and missed some time. During that spell, Alex Chiasson caught fire and stole Rattie’s job, and “The Answer” mania fizzled out. Rattie finished the 2018-19 season with 11 points in 50 games, falling well short of the lofty expectations his pre-season commanded. He even spent time on waivers later that season and Edmonton didn’t issue him a qualifying offer that summer. So concluded Rattie’s time in the NHL.

The next chapter of his career brought him to Europe, starting out with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv of the KHL. This was a reunion with Craig MacTavish but didn’t last long. MacTavish was dismissed early in the season, and Rattie was moved to Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo not long after. Despite a tumultuous first year in Russia, he put up decent numbers, finishing with 34 points in 52 games. Rattie then spent the 2020-21 season in Finland, finishing with a respectable 16 points in 28 games.

He broke out the following year, playing for Timra in Sweden. Rattie was near a point per game in his first season in the Swedish Hockey League and earned a deal with Linköping in the next three seasons. During that time, he topped out at 21 goals and 47 points in a 52-game season, establishing himself as a legitimate offensive threat in the SHL.

2025-26 brought challenges for Rattie, scoring only six points and being minus-18 in the first 30 games of the SHL season. He fell out of favour with Linköping and eventually moved to HC Fribourg-Gottéron in the Swiss League. He was productive for the rest of the regular season but appeared in only two playoff games and went without a point. HC Fribourg-Gottéron won the Swiss championship last season, but Rattie’s limited time in the league and even more limited playoff role left him without a contract coming into the 2026-27 year. Rattie remains a free agent but has expressed interest in returning to the SHL. While nothing concrete has developed as of press time, some clubs have expressed interest in adding the proven offensive weapon. Rattie is 33 this year and, by all accounts, looks to continue a successful European pro career. We’ll know Ty landed a contract with a Swedish club this year when headlines for “Svaret” (The Answer) start surfacing.

That brings us to the Oilers this pre-season, who will be “The Answer”? The Answer for the Oilers might look a bit different compared to the 2018-19 season. They have found a pretty good sidecar for McDavid in Leon Draisaitl (we’ll see if the Dynamic Duo pairing continues throughout the season) and have many more established NHLers on their roster to fill the remainder of their forward slots. The Answer this season might not be a winger for McDavid but could be a depth player who is able to score 15 goals. Colton Dach has impressed Mike Babcock so far, and Alex Formenton found the back of the net in his first pre-season game. Either could find their way onto the roster, catch fire, and contribute this season.

If not within the forward group, perhaps The Answer could be a defenceman who can help shore up the Oilers’ defensive zone and anchor the penalty kill (Connor Murphy?). Could it be someone else with an offensive upside to supplement Evan Bouchard? Ryan Shea racked up three points in his first pre-season game and looked solid. Maybe the best candidate is one of the three goalies who can take the reins and provide the Oilers with consistent, solid performances. With Devon Levi looking to take the next step in his NHL career, Tristan Jarry hoping to rebound from a very tough end to his first season in Edmonton, and Frederik Andersen playing on a “prove it” contract this season, all hope to be The Answer to the longstanding question mark in the Oilers’ crease.

Maybe The Answer is behind the bench, with Mike Babcock and his coaching staff bringing something different to the table than previous bench bosses of this era. His early-season press conferences, as well as what we’re hearing from the players so far, suggest the change behind the bench could be exactly what the Oilers needed.

Many have expectations for this season well beyond those of the 2018-19 group that missed the playoffs. The Answer this season will come from someone who steps up beyond expectations, beyond their contract, and will be someone who adds something new to the game plan for the Oilers’ opponents each night this season.

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