The Edmonton Oilers took care of some housecleaning business today by re-signing RFA D Jordan Oesterle to a one-year contract. The deal, which is a two-way contract, will pay the defender $585,000 for the season.
585k for Oesterle
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) June 20, 2016
The move isn’t really a shock. Oesterle showed well and is one of the Oilers better defensive prospects. In his two seasons with the organization, Oesterle has shown marked improvement year over year. In 2014-15, Oesterle posted 8-17-25 in 65 AHL games with a six game NHL look (one assist).
Oesterle again had 25 points in 2015-16 (4-21-25), but he did it in only 44 games, 21 less than in 2014-15. Oesterle got an extended NHL look this past season, playing in 17 games and registering 0-5-5.
During his 17 game NHL stint, Oesterle emerged as a solid puck moving defender who provided some speed to the Edmonton blue line. He did struggle defensively and was over-matched some nights, but overall he looked like an improved player who isn’t far from NHL employment.
What Does It Mean?:
The Oilers system is loaded with LHD. Oscar Klefbom and Andrej Sekera have the top-four spots on the NHL roster locked down, while Brandon Davidson and Darnell Nurse are likely locks for opening night 2016-17. Griffin Reinhart is likely to start the season in the AHL, but he too is very close to being a full-time NHL’er.
Oesterle has an advantage over both Nurse and Reinhart in the sense that he is the best pure puck mover of the “close” group. David Musil, Dillon Simpson and Joey LaLeggia are also LHD options in the system that help to create a logjam.
Personally, I think Peter Chiarelli will be moving on from a few of these LHD options this off-season. I think David Musil is going to be trade bait, while Griffin Reinhart could also be in play for the club. Oesterle has, in my mind at least, passed both of these players (Although he and GR are quite close in my mind).
Overall, this is a good sign for Edmonton. Oesterle is a solid prospect who has improved year-over-year and has some nice tools to work with. He’s likely to see even more NHL time in 2016-17 and could be a candidate for a full-time role in 2017-18.
I’d expect Jordan Oesterle to play a featured role in Bakersfield and see 25-30 NHL games during the course of the season.
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The #Oilers have signed Jordan Oesterle to a one-year contract. pic.twitter.com/sgXHwVeVGK
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) June 20, 2016
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