Oilers Re-Sign Defenseman Keegan Lowe

The Edmonton Oilers risked losing 25-year-old defender Keegan Lowe this off-season, but have worked quickly to rectify the situation. CapFriendly reports that the Oilers have signed Lowe to a two-year extension. It is a two-way deal that pays the veteran defenseman $650K/$150K in year one and $700K/$225K in year two (NHL/AHL).

While it is relatively uncommon for a player of Lowe’s age to reach unrestricted free agency, the 2011 third-round pick had achieved Group 6 free agent status as a 25-year-old with more than three pro seasons under his belt but less than 80 NHL games played. It was this same situation that allowed Lowe to sign with Edmonton in the first place last off-season. Lowe would have again been free to sign with any team in the league on July 1st.

Instead, the son of former Oilers star defenseman Kevin Lowe will remain in the city where his father made his mark and where he himself played his junior hockey with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Lowe was originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes and even played in two games with the team as a second-year pro, but was unable to work his way into a regular role in Raleigh. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 2017 before signing with the Oilers last summer. Lowe got back into the NHL last year with a pair of games, but will most likely continue to serve as an AHL mentor and emergency depth option. This extension simply affords him security and the ability to continue playing for an organization with close ties to his family. For a reliable and high-character albeit low-ceiling player like Lowe, that is often enough.