On Wednesday (March 4), the Edmonton Oilers acquired forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for forward Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round selection in the 2027 NHL Draft.
Related: Oilers Acquire Jason Dickinson in 3-Player Trade With Blackhawks
The centrepiece of the deal is Dickinson, a shutdown centre whose defensive skillset is badly needed by an Edmonton team that ranks among the league’s worst in goals against.
Over parts of 11 NHL seasons, Dickinson has suited up for 549 games. In addition to the Blackhawks, he’s also played for the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks.
He’s 30 years old, a native of Georgetown, Ont., stands 6-foot-2, weighs 200 pounds, and shoots left. Here are five other things to know about the new Oilers forward.
He’s Won a Championship with McDavid
The acquisition of Dickinson is another “win now” move by the Oilers, who earlier this week traded a 2028 second-round draft pick to Chicago in exchange for veteran defenceman Connor Murphy. Like Murphy, Dickinson is being brought to Edmonton with intentions of making a run at the Stanley Cup and helping Oilers captain Connor McDavid get a championship ring.
As it turns out, Dickinson has experience doing just that: In 2013, Dickinson and McDavid were both members of the Canadian team that won gold at the IIHF U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia.
Dickinson only recorded one point in Sochi, but it was an assist on McDavid’s first goal of the tournament. McDavid wound up leading all players at the 2013 IIHF U18 World Championship with eight goals.
He’s Part of the 2013 NHL Draft Class
Dickinson was drafted by the Stars with the second-to-last pick of the first round, 29th overall, at the 2013 NHL Draft. At that time, he was coming off his second season with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
The 2013 NHL Draft class includes three other current Oilers: goaltender Tristan Jarry (44th overall), centre Curtis Lazar (17th overall), and defenceman Darnell Nurse (7th overall). Another 2013 draftee, blueliner Josh Brown (152nd overall), is currently with Edmonton’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.
He Has Playoff Experience in Edmonton
Dickinson has only played in two NHL postseasons: 2019 and 2020, both with Dallas. The Stars advanced to the second round of the 2019 Playoffs and reached the Stanley Cup Final the following year.
What’s notable is that the entirety of the Stars’ 2020 postseason run took place in Dickinson’s new home: During the pandemic in 2020, Edmonton served as a playoff “bubble” with Rogers Place hosting all Western Conference series as well as the Eastern Conference Final and the Stanley Cup Final.
That means Dickinson has already suited up for 27 career playoff games at Rogers Place. He was one of 10 players that appeared in every contest for the Stars during the 2020 postseason, which saw Dallas set an NHL record for most games played in a single postseason.
He Was Traded for Stillman
After spending 2021-22 in Vancouver, Dickinson, along with a second-round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, was dealt to Chicago in exchange for blueliner Riley Stillman. The trade was completed on Oct. 7, 2022, just prior to the start of the regular season.
Now, three and a half years later, those two players that were traded for each other are teammates in the Oilers organization.
Stillman, who has also played for the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes since being traded to the Canucks, signed as a free agent with the Oilers on July 2, 2025. The 27-year-old blueliner has played four games with the Oilers this season and is presently with Bakersfield in the AHL.
He’s Scored in Multiple Debuts
On April 7, 2016, Dickinson scored the opening goal of his very first NHL regular season game. At 15:13 of the first period, the then-20-year-old put the puck past goaltender Calvin Pickard (also now a member of the Oilers organization, currently playing in Bakersfield) to give Dallas a 1-0 lead over the visiting Colorado Avalanche. Dallas went on to win the game by a score of 4-2 at American Airlines Center.
Dickinson also made a huge impression in his Blackhawks regular season debut, notching a goal and two assists in a 5-2 victory over the host San Jose Sharks on Oct. 15, 2022.
Could Dickinson do something similar in his first game as a member of the Oilers? He’s expected to be in the lineup when Edmonton hosts the Carolina Hurricanes at Rogers Place on Friday (March 6) night.
