Tobias Rieder’s name still hangs around Edmonton for one reason: goals that never came.
The Oilers brought him in as a free agent for $2 million, got 67 games out of him in 2018-19, and watched him finish with 11 assists and zero goals. He had looks - Natural Stat Trick credited him with 8.32 individual expected goals - but the finish just never showed up. Edmonton was also outscored 19-10 with Rieder on the ice, which only made the season look worse from the outside.
That one year became the lasting snapshot of his time with the club, but it wasn’t his first go-round with the organization. Edmonton drafted Rieder in the fourth round of the 2011 draft, though he never signed with the team and was later traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for Kale Kessey.
The most memorable part of the story came in late March 2019, when Bob Nicholson took aim at Rieder during a season ticket holder breakfast. The late Bruce McCurdy of The Edmonton Journal had a transcript of the remarks, including the line that stuck:
“If Toby Reider would have scored 10 to 12 goals, we’d probably be in the playoffs.”
Nicholson’s hope was that Rieder could rediscover some of the chemistry he had with Leon Draisaitl at the 2013 World Juniors, where the two played together for Germany. That never happened in Edmonton, and the Oilers missed the playoffs for a second straight year by 11 points.
Rieder didn’t let the comments slide. He told reporters afterward that he was offended, and Nicholson later apologized.
“You look at it and you kind of can’t believe it,” Rieder said at the time. “I feel like it’s disappointing and I’m offended by it.
I’m the first one to admit that I [haven’t had] a good year and it has not been an easy season for me. It’s been hard but I’m still going out there and giving 100 per cent every time I’m on the ice every game and try to help the team win.”
After Edmonton, the drought finally ended. Rieder signed with the Calgary Flames the next season and scored four goals and 10 points in 55 games. He then moved on to the Buffalo Sabres in 2020-21, where he put up five goals and seven points in 44 games, which so far marked the end of his North American pro career.
Rieder headed back overseas in 2021-22 and spent three seasons with the SHL’s Växjö Lakers HC, scoring 34 goals and 69 points in 118 games. Now 33, he most recently played in his native Germany for Munich EHC and scored 16 goals last year.
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Babcock has never been shy about correcting players no matter where they sit on the depth chart, and that alone makes this a consequential camp story for the Oilers. It is one thing for prospects to fight for a place, but it is another when veterans have to wonder whether their usual lineup spots are as secure as they once were, especially if the coach sees a better fit elsewhere and decides to use it. [Read more 🡒]
Why Mike Babcock's Oilers Setup Could Decide Team Stability
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For Edmonton, the interest is not just whether Babcock can get results, but whether the entire bench arrangement can hold together over time. There is always a balance to strike with a coach whose style can demand plenty from players, and the Oilers are trying to make sure that push does not tip into something harder to manage. [Read more 🡒]