Major changes were anticipated after the Edmonton Oilers failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a 10th consecutive season.
General manager Peter Chiarelli expressed a desire to bolster the defence in the off-season, a plan that was expected to involve trading a forward.
That move came June 29, four days after the 2016 NHL Draft, when the Oilers traded left wing Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils for defenceman Adam Larsson.
"It's a significant trade for the Edmonton Oilers and the New Jersey Devils," Chiarelli said. "Taylor had been a longstanding member here, he was a very good player here and a guy that leaves everything on the ice, and I respect that.