The Edmonton Oilers have a new face in the mix on their second day of training camp. Per Jason Gregor, forward Jasper Weatherby joined the team on Thursday on a professional tryout contract.
Jasper Weatherby, 4th round pick of San Jose in 2018, has 50 NHL GP, but has spent the past three seasons in the AHL is also at Oilers training camp.
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) September 19, 2024
A native of Portland, Oregon, Weatherby was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft after a championship season in the BCHL with the Wenatchee Wild. He played three seasons at the University of North Dakota and signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Sharks ahead of the 2021-22 season.
A completely random yet interesting note: The fourth-round pick that the Sharks used to draft Weatherby was initially owned by Edmonton. The Oilers traded it in January of 2018 to the Montreal Canadiens for goaltender Al Montoya, and then the Habs flipped it to San Jose at the draft that summer to get an extra pick in the fifth round. Moving along…
Weatherby cracked San Jose’s roster out of training camp as a rookie in 2021-22, scoring five goals and 11 points over 50 games with the team. He moved between the Sharks and their AHL affiliate several times and added 15 points in 25 games with the Barracuda.
The Sharks traded Weatherby in January of the 2022-23 season to the Detroit Red Wings for veteran Kyle Criscuolo. Weatherby scored six goals and 17 points in 70 AHL games between San Jose and the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The Red Wings didn’t issue Weatherby a qualifying offer in the off-season, so he became an unrestricted free agent. He inked a one-year, two-way contract with the Nashville Predators and scored 12 goals and 13 points over 66 games for the Milwaukee Admirals, their AHL affiliate.
Listed at 6-foor-6, 220 pounds, Weatherby is a centre known mostly for playing in defensive roles. With prospect Carl Berglund on the shelf with an injury suffered during rookie camp, the Oilers might be taking a look at Weatherby as a depth option for the Bakersfield Condors.
Edmonton has an interesting competition at training camp for the team’s fourth-line centre position. Derek Ryan, James Hamblin, Lane Pederson, and Noah Philp are all options for the role, and Weatherby adds yet another name to the conversation.
