Oilers Re-Sign Anton Lander

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed F Anton Lander to a two year contract extension that will run through the 2016-17 NHL season. The deal will pay Lander $925,000 in the first year, and $1.050 M in the second season. By my math, that brings a cap hit of $0.987 M per season.

This, my friends, is a true bargain contract for the Edmonton Oilers. On top of this, it is a win for the scouting staff, as a 2nd round pick (2009, 40th overall) has finally broken through and emerged as a legit NHL player.

Lander is a solid bottom-six center, very strong defensively, and good in the face-off dot. His possession stats at five-on-five are pretty good, while it is clear he can take care of his own end. He’s a young shut-down center if you will. Lander can also play on the penalty kill, which is always a big deal, you can never have enough guys on that unit.

Offensively, Lander emerged the last two seasons at the AHL level, and finally broke through this year at the NHL level. In 33 games this season, Lander has 17 points, which is by a mile a career high. He’s settled in nicely on the power-play too, taking up a role in front of the net.

Lander isn’t a top-six forward, he’s not going to win any scoring titles anytime soon, and he’s likely not an impact player. What he is, however, is a solid NHL center with defensive ability and a little bit of offense to boot. For a team’s third or fourth line, Lander is a pretty solid fit.

Anton will provide Edmonton a solid value contract at the bottom of the line-up who can do a lot of things and who provides real depth at a key position. For the Oilers, this is a clear win. A good contract with an emerging player who has helped the team this year. That’s how you draw it up.

Now, if MacTavish can re-sign Roy to a value deal and snag another center capable of playing higher in the line-up, we’ll be cooking with fire down the middle next season.