The Edmonton Oilers have taken care of one of their own, as the club has re-sign RFA F Jujhar Khaira. The bruising winger has agreed to a two-year contract worth an annual average value of $1,200,000. Khaira will make $1,100,000 in 2019-20 and $1,300,000 in 2020-21.
Khaira managed just 18 points this past season. After breaking out with eleven goals in 2017-18, Khaira manged just three goals this past season. His 15 assists were a career-high and kept his offense in the range with his 2017-18 total of 21 points.
The Oilers will count on Khaira to play a bottom-six role this coming season. He brings a physical style of play and can help on the penalty kill. His role won’t be to provide offense, but rather play a solid defensive game for Dave Tippett.
Khaira will almost certainly play on a new look third-line for Edmonton next season that could see Sam Gagner and Markus Granlund as his linemates.
Khaira dealt with a heavy dose of defensive zone starts a season ago, starting 54.5% of his shifts in the d-zone. He started only 45.5% of his shifts in the offensive zone. Don’t be surprised if that kind of usage continues under Tippett.
Oilers Sign Jurco:
A former draft pick of Ken Holland in Detroit is following him to Edmonton. Tomas Jurco has agreed to a one-year deal with the club. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that the deal will be worth $750,000.
Jurco last played in the NHL in 2017-18 with Chicago, dressing in 29 games for the Hawks. Jurco registered boxcars of 6-4-10 in those 29 games, but suffered an injury and hasn’t returned to the big leagues since.
2018-19 was spent rehabbing in the AHL, as Jurco played in 14 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds and 19 games for the Charlotte Checkers. In all, Jurco finished with 27 points (12-15-27) in 33 regular season games. Jurco won the AHL’s Calder Cup with Charlotte this spring, dressing in 18 playoff games and registering 18 points (7-11-18).
Here’s a look at Jurco’s scouting report via The Sports Forecaster.
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