Just Who Is Jordan Oesterle

We’ve finished looking at all of the 2014 draft picks for the Oilers, and today we start with the free agent additions. There were only a few at the NHL level, so we’ll start by looking at the guys at the AHL-level, starting with Jordan Oesterle and continuing with the Jones twins, Mitch Holmberg and a few others.

The Means Of Entry:

Oesterle was the Oilers choice from the college free agent pool this past spring. Oesterle played the last three seasons in the NCAA for Western Michigan before deciding to leave school to test the free agent waters. Edmonton came calling, and signed the defender to an entry-level deal.

Before playing in the NCAA, Oesterle played in the USHL, playing one year for the Sioux Falls Stampede.

The Boxcars:

Jordan Oesterle is a defender, so we have to curb our expectations on the boxcars just a little bit. The said, Oesterle checks out pretty good for last season. In his USHL season back in 2010-11, he played in 54 games for Sioux Falls and scored 15 points, finding the back of the net twice during the course of the season.

He struggled to post any boxcars the first season at Western Michigan, scoring just eight points in 41 games. He improved a bit in year two, scoring nine points but in less games, 38 total. This past year, he got a bigger role and saw his offense nearly double, scoring a solid 17 points in 34 games, a little over the .5 per game mark.

Oesterle also saw AHL time after leaving school, playing in four games for the Barons and posting one point, a goal. He was a -1 for OKC, and registered two penalty minutes as well in his first pro stint.

The Player:

Oesterle is an older prospect because he just left school, but still has tons of time ahead at only 22 years old. He’s a little on the smaller side at 6 feet even and 185 pounds, and he isn’t an overly physical player.

Oesterle is a guy that has good skating skills, his stride looks good and he has some speed, making him a solid option on the rush. He’s got a good shot too, which was pointed out by prospect guru Corey Pronman.

Oesterle is a decent puck-moving defender, and while his numbers weren’t eye opening in college, he really took a step forward this past season in a bigger role and emerged as a solid option in terms of moving the puck. He’s got good passing ability too, and has solid vision in terms of seeing what is open and what isn’t.

The knock on him is his defensive play, and Pronman points out that he needs work in this regard. He needs help with his positioning and needs some help with learning his assignments and how to make the safe play. Pronman points out that he needs to improve here and would greatly benefit from AHL time.

To me, this seems like a poor man’s Justin Schultz, a solid puck-moving option that struggles in his own end and isn’t a huge guy. Lowetide compared him to Philip Larsen, and maybe that’s the better comparison.

The 2014-15 Outlook:

Jordan Oesterle will be playing his first full pro-season this fall, and will also get an NHL training camp experience. Oesterle will be in tough to compete for ice time in Oklahoma City, as Oscar Klefbom, David Musil, Martin Gernat, Brad Hunt and Brandon Davidson are all firmly entrenched ahead of him in the line-up.

For Oesterle, the expectation should be an adjustment year, where the young defender learns the pro game and begins to develop in his own zone. I’d say a good showing in Oklahoma City where he shows improvement with his defensive play and puts up a fair amount of points would be a huge success.

As the year goes on, it’s likely he’ll get more ice time as guys ahead of him get recalled or even traded. Oesterle needs to improve his defensive play and use his puck-moving skills to catch the eyes of Todd Nelson. He has talent, and could be a sleeper moving forward.