Niko Tsakumis and two picks are headed back to Portland in the trade.
The Edmonton Oil Kings boosted their blue line on Tuesday by acquiring defenceman Carter Sotheran from the Portland Winterhawks. In exchange for Sotheran, Portland received defenceman Niko Tsakumis, a first-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-round pick in 2028. Sotheran was initially drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023 but is now a free agent.
Sotheran brings plenty of experience to Edmonton's defence core. The 20-year-old has played in 237 regular-season games and has produced 133 points. Sotheran has also played in 41 playoff games, where he has 27 points.
As for Tsakumis, the Winterhawks will be his fifth WHL team. The 20-year-old has played for the Seattle Thunderbirds, Everett Silvertips, Kamloops Blazers and the Oil Kings. In 180 career regular-season games, Tsakumis has 43 points and 113 penalty minutes.
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