On Friday evening, the Edmonton Oilers made a surprising move, calling up rookie forward Connor Clattenburg from the American Hockey League.

Not only does this move fill the team’s quota of having at least two players named “Connor” on the roster, but it also adds some grit to the lineup ahead of their Stanley Cup Final rematch on Saturday against the Florida Panthers.

There are two words to describe Clattenburg: “absolute menace.”

Drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 draft, Clattenburg stands at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, and hails from Ottawa. The forward played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, his first two with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds before being traded to the Flint Firebirds, where he played his final two seasons alongside fellow Oilers prospect Nathaniel Day.

Clattenburg’s final season with the Firebirds was in 2024-25. Serving as their captain, he scored 16 goals and 35 points in 46 games, along with 108 penalty minutes. After the season ended, Clattenburg made his professional debut with the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors, going scoreless in the one game he played.

My first real look at Clattenburg came during the pair of NextGen games against the Calgary Flames’ rookies in mid-September. Clattenburg not only scored in the first game, but he was also in the box constantly, fighting twice and taking two penalties. He then mixed it up with Flames prospect Mace’o Phillips in the second game, laying the body on multiple occasions.

I thought he had a strong showing in the preseason, and I even went as far as saying he’d play NHL games in 2025-26. Eventually, Clattenburg was cut and began his season in Bakersfield.

Through 15 games this season, the 20-year-old has one goal and one assist, but has racked up a massive 59 penalty minutes. There’s no better example of Clattenburg being an absolute menace than Nov. 15, when he had 26 penalty minutes, two fights, and an uncountable number of hits. After the game, Clattenburg said that this style of play was going to get him to the next level, but I don’t think anyone expected it to happen this soon.

Clattenburg isn’t close to being an NHL-ready prospect in terms of his offensive game. That said, he brings grit, chaos, and a feisty attitude, all things the Oilers desperately need in their lineup. Add in the fact that Edmonton is facing a hated rival on Saturday, and it feels like the perfect storm for Clattenburg’s NHL debut.