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Oilers Sign Slater Koekkoek to New 2-Yr Extension

The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Slater Koekkoek to a new two-year extension worth $975K per season.

The Edmonton Oilers took care of some business on their blue line Thursday. They added depth defenseman Slater Koekkoek for another two years at a price tag of $975K per season. Some are surprised at both the number and the term, but Koekkoek has the confidence of the Oilers coaching staff despite only playing in 18 games this past season.

Related: Oilers Re-Sign Tyler Benson, Will He Crack the Roster This Season?

An injury — a broken collarbone against the Calgary Flames on February 20th — forced Koekkoek out of the lineup. He played on 0:14 of that game before returning in the final game of the year on May 15th and played 17:18. Clearly, Dave Tippett felt he was one of the more reliable options despite having been forced to sit most of the season and likely being rusty from such little action.

Edmonton brought Koekkoek in last offseason after a run with the Chicago Blackhawks. It was during the Oilers series with Hawks that Ken Holland must have realized how effective Koekkoek could be. The Blackhawks eliminated the Oilers during the 2019-20 play-in round. Koekkoek was pegged to be a depth guy on the blue line, playing the six and seven spot and moving back and forth from either side. This season, he might be in and out of the lineup, but the expectation is that he’ll be a strong mentor for a couple of the younger guys, namely Evan Bouchard, as Bouchard tries to work his way up the blue line depth chart and into a more prominent role.

Slater Koekkoek signs a two-year extension with the Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Keen on These Two Year Deals

The two year deal has become a bit of a pattern for GM Ken Holland. He’s looking to surround his young leadership core with “hockey pros” who work hard and are versatile. He signed Devin Shore to a two-year deal as well this offseason, a move that was met with some frustration by Oilers fans. In Keokkeok’s case, if he’s healthy and does what the Oilers think he can in a depth role, the $975K could be a bargain if he’s averaging 15-17 minutes per game on a regular basis.

Next: Elias Pettersson: “I Just Wanna Play Where There’s a Chance of Winning”

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