Edmonton Oilers: Mark Letestu’s Rebound Season

After a 2015-16 campaign where he struggled greatly possession-wise and didn’t impress scoring-wise, Edmonton Oilers forward Mark Letestu rebounded this season.

With the team in need of a third-line centre, the Oilers attempted to fit Drake Caggiula into that role. Letestu, who was on the fourth line for some time, decided to step up and become this player that Edmonton needed. Here’s how he stacked up this year.

Letestu’s Impact

Edmonton Oilers

Letestu completely amped up his game this past season. He took the time to absorb his role on the bottom-six and flourished into more than that. Not only did Letestu improve defensively, but he stepped up and showcased his offensive ability.

As the season went on, Letestu became a solid all-around player and was capable of filling the role as the third line centre. In addition to that, he wore many hats and took on an important role on special teams in regards to the power play and penalty kill.

Letestu could also win draws and was one of the team’s top centres. Overall, he had a great positive impact on the Oilers this season.

Stats

In 78 games this season, Letestu posted 16 goals and 35 points, and also put on 72 hits. He was a great presence on the ice, and really made the most of his opportunities. Letestu also won over 50 percent of his faceoffs and helped the bottom-six thrive offensively.

He also made his presence known on special teams. He was second on the team with 11 power-play goals, trailing only Milan Lucic (12). By the same token, Letestu led the team in shorthanded goals (2) and points (3).

His success carried over into the postseason, where he put up five goals and 11 points in 13 playoff games. He was one of the team’s top scorers and had an outstanding performance. Letestu was able to score goals and set up his teammates, and came in clutch, especially when the game was on the line. However, his presence on the power-play was the most prominent part of his game.

The only area he must improve is possession-wise. His Corsi sat at around 45 percent and he had a -5.7 relative Corsi. He hasn’t improved much in this area since last season, and this plagues his team at even strength and could haunt him later down the road.

Next: Edmonton Oilers Season in Review: Drake Caggiula

Overall Grade: A-

Letestu was a quality utility player and wore many hats for the Oilers. He was able to score goals and serve as a spark on special teams, and also won faceoffs while filling out the bottom-six. However, he has to work on his defensive style of play and maintaining possession of the puck. In the end, he must control the game while he’s on the ice.