Josh Bloom Traded to Oilers, Signals AHL Roster Shift
The Edmonton Oilers acquired forward josh bloom from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Jayden Grubbe prior to the American Hockey League trade deadline. The Oilers announced Bloom will report to their ECHL affiliate, the Fort Wayne Komets, while Grubbe is expected to join the Kalamazoo Wings for the remainder of the season.
Josh Bloom’s ECHL Production
Bloom has been a high-volume scorer at the ECHL level this season, posting 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points in 19 games with the Kalamazoo Wings. He also produced a career-best 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points in 43 games in the 2024-25 season. The figures point to josh bloom being a productive ECHL forward whose scoring has outpaced his limited AHL output, suggesting Edmonton sees immediate minor-league offensive upside rather than an AHL-ready piece.
Oilers Assign Bloom to Komets
The Oilers made clear that Bloom will report to the Fort Wayne Komets, and he is in the final season of his three-year entry-level contract with an NHL average annual value of $902, 500 and a minor-league salary of $80, 000. The move signals Edmonton is using its roster flexibility to add a low-cap-hit player with contract certainty at both NHL and minor-league levels, which preserves short-term payroll room while boosting ECHL depth.
Canucks Receive Jayden Grubbe
Vancouver receives Jayden Grubbe, a Calgary native who captained the Red Deer Rebels and spent two seasons with the Bakersfield Condors before joining the Fort Wayne Komets for the entire 2025-26 season. In 28 games with Fort Wayne this season, Grubbe has seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points, and he is expected to join the Kalamazoo Wings for the remainder of the season. The exchange gives the Canucks an AHL-experienced forward who has 10 goals and 18 assists in 129 AHL games and is in the final year of a three-year entry-level contract with an NHL cap hit of $867, 500 and a minor-league salary of $80, 000.
Neither Bloom nor Grubbe has played an NHL game to date; Bloom was selected 95th overall by Vancouver in the 2021 draft and turned pro full-time after helping the Saginaw Spirit win the 2024 Memorial Cup, while Grubbe was originally picked in the third round of the 2021 draft by the New York Rangers. The pattern suggests both clubs prioritized immediate minor-league roster needs before the AHL deadline rather than moving on veteran NHL pieces.
The next confirmed development is Bloom reporting to the Fort Wayne Komets. If Bloom sustains his ECHL pace from Kalamazoo, the Oilers and Komets will have a measurable scoring sample to evaluate whether he can push for AHL minutes or provide a scoring boost at the ECHL level.
