Oilers: Depth added as Slater Koekkoek is back for two more seasons

The Edmonton Oilers have re-signed defenseman Slater Koekkoek to a two-year contract extension, worth $925K AAV as reported first by Mark Spector. The Oilers add to their depth by locking up Koekkoek, who can be trusted to step into the lineup at any time, and produce.

Battling injuries last season, the 27-year-old will be looking to prove himself again to fans, coaches, and teammates with the Oilers.

Slater Koekkoek put up 1 point in 18 games last season with Edmonton while posting a -7 according to NHL.Com. During a 7-1 win against the Flames last season, Koekkoek sustained a collarbone injury that would sideline him for the rest of the season. In the games he played, he looked average, but definitely began to show signs of a top 4 d man with his defensive play.

Koekkoek showed promise in his last 4 seasons split between Tampa and Chicago before joining the Oilers, never posting a negative plus-minus with either team in those seasons, and showed off his gritty side with a combined 64 penalty minutes in 106 games over those 4 years.

This two-year bridge deal leaves room to breathe for the Oilers, who have struggled on defense for the past few seasons and haven’t been able to find a defensive unit that makes everyone happy. With Koekkoek coming back, the D lineup could look something like this:

NURSE-BARRIE

KEITH-CECI

KOEKKOEK – BOUCHARD

This leaves room for guys like Russell & Samorukov to battle for a spot in the lineup every night and gives the guys some extra competition going into the season. Koekkoek, who is a defensive defenseman playing alongside Bouchard who is a strong, young two-way player, is a perfect combination for that bottom pairing, and if anybody gets injured, suspended, or otherwise can’t play, we have a group of guys that the entire coaching staff trust can make a difference.

I think this defensive unit could turn out to be an improvement from last season, although the team lost Adam Larsson, Ethan Bear, and Caleb Jones, they have bounced back well and secured guys that could be solid replacements, and this now, finally, gives Bouchard a chance to move full time into the lineup.

Bouchard has 6 points in 21 NHL games according to NHL.Com, and playing alongside a guy like Koekkoek, in the same lineup as a veteran leader like Keith, I believe will really propel the young D man into a star in the near future.