The Edmonton Oilers added 4 key players into their organization this offseason. Here's an in-depth look into each player, and their projected role on the team. Issac Howard (LW) Last Played: Michigan State Spartans (NCAA) Stats: 37 GP - 26 G - 26 A - 52 P - 10 PIM Howard is coming off an …
The Edmonton Oilers added 4 key players into their organization this offseason. Here’s an in-depth look into each player, and their projected role on the team.
Howard is coming off an excellent run at Michigan State, where he scored a combined 82 points the past two seasons. He was traded to the Oilers by the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward prospect Sam O Reilly on July 8th, then signed his entry level contract for an AAV of $950,000 over 3 years. Howard is expected to make the jump straight to the NHL and contribute in the top 6, potentially playing on a line with Mcdavid.
Lazar is heading into his 11th NHL season, where he has mostly contributed as a fourth line center. He was limited to 48 games with the Devils last season due to a knee injury in late October. The veteran of more than 500 games will be a key cog on the penalty kill, and also as a shutdown center. He has experience playing with Mcdavid, and began his pro career playing with the Edmonton Oil Kings. “Connor and I were roommates at the World Juniors, we played two years there together and I played against Leon in the Western Hockey League time and time again,” Lazar told NHL.com. “I’ve already talked to both guys about the fit coming to Edmonton, how much fun it’s going to be and how much work it’s going to take.”
Mangiapane signed a 2 year contract with an AAV of $3,600,000. The 29 year old is coming off a decent season in Washington, where he mainly played a middle six role. He is expected to replace a void in the top six created by departees Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. “He’s an active player. He’s also a competitive player. He’s not the most fun to play against,” said GM Stan Bowman. “We certainly played a lot against him when he was in Calgary, and I think you notice his ability to impact the game in a number of ways. Penalty killing as well is something that he’s done, and he’s been good at that.”
Stillman is coming off an average season with the Hurricanes and Chicago Wolves. He played limited minutes with Carolina, mainly as the first call up or 7th defensemen. He is expected to contribute offensively on a weak Bakersfield team, while projected as the first defensemen to be called up to the Oilers. If he does make the team, he will play in a very limited role due the presence of Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm.
