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Report: Oilers Close To Signing Versteeg To PTO |
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As per Darren Dreger the Oilers are close to signing Kris Versteeg to a PTO. Versteeg started last year with the Hurricanes where here put up 33 points in 63 games then was moved to Los Angeles for a prospect and a 5th round pick. He attempted to sign in Europe but had his contract terminated and is now a Free Agent.
Kris Versteeg’s camp claimed that the reason his contract was terminated was due to an insurance problem, however Bern (the Swiss club) said it was due to a failed medical test. Each denies the other’s claim, although it’s strange that the team would refute a benign claim like “insurance reasons” if it wasn’t true. So there is at least some concern that the player is injured and not likely to play a full season.
That’s part of the reason I have no problem with the Oilers signing Versteeg to a PTO. There is no obligation whatsoever from the club to the player. He can come to camp, play in every pre-season game, even lead the team in scoring, and the Oilers could let him walk when it was all done.
The question is, if healthy, would Versteeg be a good option for the Oilers? Last year he had 15-23-38 in 77 games between the Kings and the Hurricanes combined. For the Hurricanes he was playing 16:23 per game and for the Kings that dropped to just under 11 minutes per game. So he bounced between the fringe of the top 6 all the way down to the 4th line last season. On the Hurricanes he was getting almost 2 minutes a game on the PP and with the Kings it was half that.
Ultimately, Versteeg produced 1.60 Points per 60 minutes last year in 1014 minutes during 2015-2016. That’s not a bad level production for a guy who would probably slot in on the 2nd or 3rd line depending on whether the tryout works. Versteeg also had fantastic possession metrics last season. He had one of the highest shot attempt ratios on the Hurricanes and kept pace with a great Kings team when he joined them.
The big benefit to the Oilers might also be Versteeg’s handedness. As a right shot he would be in the minority of Oiler wingers with some semblance of offense. The team has Lucic, Pouliot, Yakupov, and Maroon shooting left in their top 9. They have 3 left shot centers in McDavid, Draisaitl, and RNH. They only have Eberle in their top 9 as a right shot who can reasonably expected to score.
The implication, if Versteeg is successful and offered a contract, is that someone who was expected to play RW for the Oilers will be moved out or down to the AHL. The Official Oiler website lists this order:
Eberle
Yakupov
Kassian
Pakarinen
Puljujarvi
One has to believe that Yakupov’s position with the Oilers is precarious at best. Pakarinen was always a placeholder for me. Kassian needs to show a lot more to his game. And, Puljujarvi is the only one of them who can be assigned to the AHL without waivers (I believe).
A successful bid by Versteeg could see the Oilers start their latest draft pick in a development league playing 18 minutes a night, pushing Pakarinen to the 13th F spot, move Kassian to the 4th line, and allow more options for the coaching staff and a greater ability to provide balance over the top 9.
It could also allow the team to move out a body and keep Puljujarvi in the NHL, if there is a deal to be made out there. Certainly Bob Stauffer has hinted many times that there may be yet one more move out there before the season starts. Of course, that’s if Kris Versteeg can win a contract first. Let’s not put the cart before the horse.
UPDATE
It's official. Versteeg signed the PTO with Edmonton as per Dreger.
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