The Edmonton Oilers don’t have much cap space to work with, but with the little bit they do, a few PTO’s (Professional Tryout Contract) could be given to a couple of players to help fill the needs of the team. The forward depth is good but could use some more grit, and the D core could use some work in the bottom 4. The Penguins have recently given out 2 PTO contracts, and I think the Oilers will follow suit.
Michael Stone
Michael Stone is a 31-year-old Defenseman from Winnipeg, who most recently played for the Calgary Flames. In his 11 NHL seasons, Stone has played 493 games and has 128 points to show for it. His toughness is apparent, as he sits at a career total of 270 penalty minutes, but his +/- is an underwhelming -52.
His 6’3, 210 pound frame is something any team wants on their blue line, if it’s utilized properly. A big body who can block shots, play the body with no fear, and be an offensive asset is something that could propel the Oilers D core from being a bottom 5 in the league, to at least the middle of the pack.
In the 2020-21 season with the Flames, Stone tallied 4 points over 21 games, which wasn’t good enough to earn him a new contract with the team this season, and now he sits in free agency. The Oilers were rumored to be interested in Stone if the price tag wasn’t too high, and he won’t earn much more than $700k a season.
Stone is a right-handed shot, so playing him on the left side of the lineup would make the most sense. With his experience, and playing alongside someone who is a bit more trustworthy in their own end like Koekkoek or Russell, Stone could find himself a spot in the bottom 4 on a nightly basis.
Stone is a low risk, high reward PTO. If he pans out and earns a contract, he can be placed in the lineup and replace any one on that left side. I don’t think he’d make the opening lineup out of camp, but he’s a trustworthy 7th D Man option if anyone gets hurt, and he can bring some competitiveness for the younger guys.