New faces down the middle
2018-10-19On day 2 of the free agency, Oilers managed to snag five players for their pro team including 3 centers, a position which is lacking with the departure of Patrice Bergeron to free agency.
David Backes (C/RW) :
Backes signed a 3 years deal, 4,75M a year. He scored 28 goals and added 30 assists last seasons for Vancouver and Columbus. He is expected to fill the 2nd line center spot.
Thomas Vanek (LW/RW) :
Thomas Vanek will certainly bring offensive option on the wings. The 30 goals scorer with the Wild last season signed a 3 years deal worth 15M$. He will be having big minutes on the top 6 as well as powerplay.
Carl Soderberg (C) :
Oilers found their 3rd line center which was lacking for all of last season. This problem is now fixed for the next 3 years with a contract avering 3,850M a year. Soderberg did contribute to Jets offense last season with 32 points including 13 goals.
Jussi Jokinen (C/LW/RW) :
The jack-of-all-trade on the offensive front, Jokinen can fill any of the forward spot making him an invaluable asset for any team. Although he is expected to fill a role in the bottom 6 forward, his versatility gives Oilers a lot of interesting options. The 40 points players last season with Chicago and Anaheim signed a 3 years deal worth 8,25M.
Jeff Petry (D) :
Jeff Petry is going to complete the young core of Ghost, Trouba and Maatta alongside veteran Josh Gorges and Zack Bogosian. He signed a 3 years deal , 5,250M a year. He will be playing on the top 4 in Edmonton
What's next
GM Dubois said he is very happy with today's signing but he is still looking to add one piece for the top 9 F as well as a few minor players.