While all the talk Friday was about the New York Rangers trading Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, the Edmonton Oilers snuck in a trade of their own.
The team sent defenceman Noel Hoefenmayer to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Jacob Perreault.

Perreault, 22, was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks 27th overall in 2020, but only appeared in one NHL game for them. He spent his first three and a half years with their AHL affiliate San Diego Gulls, drawing in for 161 games, scoring 32 goals and 91 points, but was traded to the Habs on March 7th of this year for prospect Jan Mysak.

Perreault played 13 games down the stretch with their AHL affiliate Laval Rocket, scoring a goal and an assist, but hasn’t scored a point in six games this season with them. He’s played five games this year with their ECHL affiliate Trois-Rivières Lions, scoring a goal and five points.

He spent his junior hockey career with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting, scoring 69 goals and 125 points in 120 games with them over two years.

“Perrault is a pure sniper with one of the best shots in this draft class,” his EliteProspects draft guide profile read. “It’s accurate, hard, and he can score from anywhere. His ability to catch and shoot pucks in stride when the passes aren’t in the wheelhouse is a transferable skill that will serve him well.”

His father, Yanic Perreault, had a long NHL career, playing 859 games over 14 years with the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks and Phoenix Coyotes.

Jacob, meanwhile, will report to the Oilers AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors, the team announced Friday. He’s in the final year of his entry-level contract and is set to be a restricted-free agent this summer.

Hoefenmayer, 25, joined the organization in free agency in 2023, spending each of the last two seasons with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, appearing in 58 games scoring eight goals and 25 points. He re-signed on a one-year, $775,000 deal this past summer.