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It was brought up earlier in the week by Baggedmilk of Oilersnation that the Oilers had interest in signing Scottie Upshall to a PTO. Today the Oilers officially announced they are bringing in the 34 year old Alberta native.



At this stage in his career, Upshall has been an effective 4th line player, averaging about 10 minutes a game. Last season all of his 7 goals came at even strength. The Oilers have reportedly been searching for an additional low cost forward to add to their roster since the off-season began. Upshall certainly fits the bill as a cheap, safe option.

What makes Upshall an interesting option is the fact that the Oilers signed one of his most common linemates from last year a couple months earlier in Kyle Brodziak. Last season with the Blues, Brodziak and Upshall averaged 455 minutes of 5 on 5 time together. What is interesting is that both players appeared to perform better when they played away from each other.

Brodziak for example produced a GF% of 64.71 without Upshall which dropped to 48.48% when they played together. A similar case developed in regards to CF%. Upshall pushed possession at a 51.19CF% away from Brodziak while together the two fell to a 46.36 CF%.

Overall I do like this option for the Oilers. With the addition of Brodziak and now Upshall the Oilers seem to be getting some good advice from within on finding 4th line players who can produce. A 4th line combination of Upshall-Brodziak-Kassian could be a good line which over a season could add 25-35 goals. Would I rather the Oilers play Upshall on the 4th line than Caggiula?



Yes...yes I would.

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