The Edmonton Oilers are not yet done tinkering with their roster prior to the 2016-17 season. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, forward Kris Versteeg will try his luck and attempt to make the team out of training camp.
Hearing Kris Versteeg is closing in on PTO with Edmonton.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) September 9, 2016
The move comes less than a month after Versteeg signed a contract in Switzerland that fell through due to insurance issues from a previous injury. According to Dreger in a previous tweet, Versteeg is completely healthy at this time and will be 100% when camps open in a few weeks.
The Boxcars:
Versteeg might be best known for his roles on the 2010 and 2015 Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup teams. That said, he’s carved out a career as a pretty solid depth scorer in the NHL. Last season, split between Carolina (63 games) and Los Angeles (14 games) he posted 15-23-38.
In 2014-15, with the champion Blackhawks, Versteeg posted 14-20-34, in the range with his 2015-16 numbers. In fact, Versteeg has been about a 30 point player for the duration of his career. His offensive impact is surrounded at this point.
He won’t go anywhere and take a top-six spot right away, but Versteeg produces like a top-nine forward who can move up the lineup if need be. Sexy player? Not exactly, but still a valuable piece that Edmonton has lacked for years now.
The Scouting Report:
What kind of player are we truly talking about here? Here is an excerpt from a post over at Litter Box Cats that touches on Versteeg as a player (Scouting report from The Hockey News).
Assets:Has excellent offensive instincts and is a good dangler with the puck. Sneaky, he gets around the offensive zone and has a nose for the net with a pretty good wrister. Is also decent without the puck and in the defensive zone.
Flaws:Is smallish by NHL standards, and as a result has difficulty winning corner battles in the big league due to a lack of strength. Can be a bit inconsistent in terms of his overall play at times. Has limitations on offense.Career
Potential:Solid, versatile scoring forward.
Final Thoughts:
This is a move that makes a lot of sense for both sides. As currently constructed, right wing is actually an area of concern for the Edmonton Oilers. There was a chance that the team would have to move Leon Draisaitl to the wing, which would have created a massive hole at center ice. This would be cover against that.
Kris Versteeg isn’t a game changing forward, but he is a proven NHL’er who can handle a top-nine role. That, folks, has value. At 30 years old, you have to think Versteeg still has more to give, and as a right-shot RW, he is truly a perfect fit.
On merit, Versteeg might actually be the second best RW on Edmonton’s training camp roster. Now, I think Jesse Puljujarvi is going to be very good, but we have to allow for an adjustment time, maybe even AHL time for the rookie. Nail Yakupov has been far too inconsistent to call better than Versteeg at this point as well.
Me speculating here, but I wonder if this opens up the possibility for a Yakupov trade, say to Buffalo for a defender like Cody Franson.
Overall, this is a very smart move for both the Oilers and Versteeg. The team covers themselves at a position of need with a capable NHL veteran (imagine that?!) while the player is going to a team that can give him ample opportunity.
I’d be surprised if Versteeg doesn’t earn a contract in the coming month.
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