josh bloom was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Jayden Grubbe on Friday, prior to the American Hockey League trade deadline. Bloom will report to the Oilers’ ECHL affiliate, the Fort Wayne Komets, and is in the final season of his three-year entry-level contract with an NHL AAV of $902, 500 and a minor-league salary of $80, 000. Grubbe is expected to join the Kalamazoo Wings for the remainder of the season after spending the 2025-26 season with Fort Wayne.
Expanding details
The swap moves two prospects who have split time between AHL and ECHL roles. Josh Bloom was selected 95th overall in the 2021 draft by the Vancouver Canucks and turned pro full-time after the 2023-24 season following a Memorial Cup run with the Saginaw Spirit. In junior play he was a secondary scorer; in pro work with the Abbotsford Canucks he has managed one goal and two points in 21 games across the past two years. Bloom has spent the bulk of his professional minutes with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. In 2024-25 he posted a career-best 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points in 43 games, and this season he has 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points in 19 games with the K-Wings.
Josh Bloom to Fort Wayne Komets
The Oilers announced that Bloom will report to their ECHL affiliate, the Fort Wayne Komets. He remains on the final season of his three-year, entry-level deal. The trade sends Jayden Grubbe the other way: after concluding his junior career with the Red Deer Rebels, where he served as captain for three seasons, Grubbe joined the Bakersfield Condors and later moved into the Komets lineup. The Calgary native has 7 goals and 12 assists for 19 points in 28 games in Fort Wayne this season and is expected to report to the Kalamazoo Wings for the remainder of the campaign. Grubbe is also 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.
What’s next
Both clubs have set immediate assignments: josh bloom will join the Fort Wayne Komets while Jayden Grubbe heads to the Kalamazoo Wings. Each player is entering the final season of his entry-level contract, and their performances at the ECHL level will determine short-term roster moves for their parent clubs. Expect roster confirmations from the Oilers and Canucks organizations as each team finalizes paperwork and transfer logistics for the remainder of the season.
