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Mark Letestu

Edmonton Oilers Sign Scottie Upshall To PTO

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It’s officially PTO season. After the Florida Panthers made Mark Letestu the first notable name signed to a professional tryout agreement this off-season with an agreement last week, the Edmonton Oilers have now joined in on the action. The team announced this afternoon that they come to terms with veteran forward Scottie Upshall on a PTO. The Oilers are not overflowing with forward depth, making the Alberta native’s odds of landing a contract relatively good.

This move comes as little surprise in regards to Upshall. The 34-year-old has been down this road before; he played on not one but two PTO’s last fall, first joining the Vancouver Canucks before eventually returning to the St. Louis Blues and earning a contract. He again stands a good chance of winning a spot, this time with Edmonton. Gone are the days when Upshall could produce 30+ points every year, but he still does everything else well. A smart, hard-working forward, Upshall can still give a team modest offense – he scored 19 points in 63 games last year – but it is his two-way play that keeps him valuable. Upshall was one of the Blues’ primary penalty killers last season and still plays with energy, grit, and toughness.

Ironically, Upshall’s frequent running mate in St. Louis, both five-on-five and shorthanded, was Kyle Brodziak, who signed with Edmonton earlier this summer. It seems likely that the Oilers considered that when inviting Upshall to camp. St. Louis was not a league leader in killing penalties or fourth line production last season, but the chemistry between Upshall and Brodziak would nevertheless be a major boost for Edmonton. In moving on from Letestu, the Oilers lost their leading penalty killer from last season. They would also likely enjoy not having to deploy Ryan Nugent-Hopkins while man-down as frequently as they did in 2017-18. Upshall could fit in nicely alongside Brodziak both on the bottom line and the PK, so long as he looks like he can still keep up in his sixteenth year in the league. This could end up being a shrewd PTO pickup by GM Peter Chiarelli and company.

Florida Panthers Sign Mark Letestu To PTO

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Professional tryout season is upon us, and the Florida Panthers have announced that veteran center Mark Letestu will join them in training camp this year. A “PTO” as it is referred to is an agreement to have a player in camp without any obligation to sign them to an NHL contract. Many players on tryouts will eventually earn a deal somewhere—though, as the Edmonton Oilers found out not necessarily with the team they’re working with—but nothing is guaranteed for Letestu this time around. The 33-year old will be battling for his NHL life after spending the end of last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Aaron Portzline of The Athletic in fact tweets that if Letestu can’t find a one-way deal with the Panthers, there could still be a two-way contract waiting for him in Columbus. The two sides had talks recently, and the veteran center had several two-way contract offers. Though last season didn’t go as planned first in Edmonton and then Columbus, there is a good chance that Letestu can still be an effective player. It was just two seasons ago that he recorded 16 goals and 35 points for the Oilers before being one of their best players in the postseason.

For a Panthers team that is looking to compete in a tough Atlantic Division, giving a chance like this to Letestu makes sense. The team isn’t incredibly deep down the middle, and has several unproven young players trying to lock down spots in the bottom-six. Battling out a veteran like Letestu for that opportunity can only improve their performance, and there is a real possibility that he has enough left in the tank to contribute this season. For what would likely be a one-way contract under $1MM, he may be able to snag a spot on the Panthers roster.

Poll: How Many Remaining Veteran Free Agents Will Sign?

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With just one day left in July, free agents have had a month to find employment in the NHL. Last summer, there were less than 20 unrestricted free agents signed after the end of July through the beginning of the regular season. This off-season, there are a plethora of notable names left on the market, but at this point is is unlikely that they all find a new home in the league. The question now is how many of these top names get lucky.

Rick Nash could find a landing spot if he wanted to. The six-time All-Star is currently evaluating his future in hockey versus his health after suffering yet another concussion this season. Should he decide to return, he would likely have more than a few teams interested in a short-term deal.

If Nash opts not to return, the top-scoring forward from last season left on the market is actually Mike Cammalleri. Cammalleri, 36, quietly put up 29 points last season after a hot start with the Los Angeles Kings and then a trade to the Edmonton Oilers. The former point-per-game player is not quite that kind of scorer any more, but could still contribute to a number of teams.

Benoit Pouliot was a perennial 30-point player until he turned 30 and has struggled the past two years. In the right situation, he could still make an impact. The same goes for Mark Letestu, Drew Stafford and Jannik Hansen. Ales Hemsky was highly productive before injuries derailed his career, but remains a possible high-ceiling gamble if back at 100%.

Other available forwards bring more of a two-way game such as Daniel Winnik, Scott Hartnell, Scottie Upshall, Chris Stewart, Antoine Vermette, Jussi Jokinen, Tommy Wingels, Jason Chimera, Joel Ward, Dominic Moore, Matt Stajan, and Lee Stempniak. There are also some younger options like Alex Chiasson, Nick Shore, Logan Shaw, Tomas Jurco, and Freddie Hamilton.

On the blue line, Luca Sbisa is reportedly drawing interest from several teams across the league. Although he suited up for just 30 games with the Vegas Golden Knights, he managed to register 14 points and plays a strong checking game. It would seem that Sbisa is in line for a contract at some point.

But what about Toby Enstrom? A free agent for the first time in his long career, the well-respected veteran was expected to land a contract early on but still remains unemployed. Enstrom has always been a reliable presence on the back end, but at 33 years old, he has shown signs of slowing down.

Other aging options on defense include Alexei Emelin, Johnny Oduya, Kevin Bieksa, Dennis Seidenberg, Kyle Quincey, Paul Martin, Josh Gorges, and Jason Garrison. However, experience may not be able to outweigh ability with many younger defenseman still out there. Brandon Davidson, Cody Franson, and Paul Postma seem like players who should be signed, while Justin Falk, Frank Corrado, Ryan Sproul, and Duncan Siemens are all intriguing targets as well.

In net, the options are pretty straightforward. One would think that Kari Lehtonen, Steve Mason, and Ondrej Pavelec had all done enough in their careers to earn a continued stay in the NHL, especially when there are no other legitimate goaltenders available at this point. Yet, its hard to pinpoint three teams that need another option in goal. These three keepers may need to wait until injuries strike to find work.

So, how many of these remaining free agents will sign before the season starts?

Free Agent Profile: Mark Letestu

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Mark Letestu has been a useful bottom-six center around the league in recent years but has yet to be signed for next season.  Here is a closer look at his situation.

The 33-year-old started off last season with the Oilers and while he fell short of his point per game average from the year before, he was still relatively productive given his role with 19 points in 60 games.  That resulted in some trade interest before the deadline and he was flipped to Columbus.

With the Blue Jackets, he didn’t fare as well.  He was used solely as a fourth line faceoff specialist which resulted in his output dropping considerably with just four points in 19 games.  His playing time was slashed by more than three minutes per night in the postseason and he was fairly quiet overall.  There’s a good chance that this has affected his market so far.

Despite that, as someone who has averaged better than 50% at the faceoff dot throughout his career, Letestu should attract some interest as a specialist while as much as he didn’t light it up with Columbus, he has been a decent point producer in previous years.  That’s likely the argument that his representatives are making in negotiations.

Potential Suitors

Center depth is something that contenders often look to acquire at the trade deadline but it wouldn’t be surprising for some rebuilding teams to show some interest as well.  In those cases, the team would want Letestu to serve as a bridge for a youngster that isn’t quite ready yet and then look to flip him at the deadline.

In the East, while Carolina added Jordan Martinook when they dealt Marcus Kruger earlier this offseason, he’s better utilized on the wing which could make an opening for Letestu.  He’d also serve as insurance if youngster Martin Necas struggles in training camp.  The Flyers were looking for a third line center earlier in free agency but they may look to fill that role internally.  Washington should have some room to work with to upgrade their bottom six and their center depth behind their top three options is somewhat limited.  Toronto is believed to be high on Par Lindholm for their fourth line spot but they could certainly look to Letestu to add some competition for that position.

The options aren’t quite as plentiful out West.  San Jose has cap room to work with and could use him on their fourth line.  Anaheim added Carter Rowney earlier this summer but Letestu would be an upgrade over him; Ducks GM Bob Murray is known to tinker with his fourth line midseason so this would represent an opportunity to improve beforehand.  Chicago now has cap space but the return of Kruger doesn’t really leave room for Letestu to work with.  We had originally projected Calgary to sign him but they added Derek Ryan in free agency as well as Austin Czarnik, who has played center at times as well so there isn’t a great fit there now either.

Projected Contract

Letestu ranked 40th on our Top 50 UFA list and had a projected one-year, $1.75MM contract.  It’s hard to envision him getting that amount now that most of the comparable depth centers have gone elsewhere and there aren’t a lot of vacancies left.  However, he’s not in a situation where he should have to settle for close to the league minimum either given his track record.  Something in the middle (between $1MM and $1.25MM) now appears to be a more likely outcome at this time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Notes: Penguins, Blue Jackets, Bruins

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The Pittsburgh Penguins could be without rookie forward Zach Aston-Reese long-term. Actually, head coach Mike Sullivan described the injury as “longer-term”, though he refrained from putting any specific timeline on his return. He did say that Aston-Reese suffered an upper-body injury in practice, which is why he missed last night’s game, a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils, and will presumably miss many more. While the Penguins made a splash with their acquisition of center Derick Brassard at the trade deadline, Aston-Reese has been a point-per-game player since being recalled to Pittsburgh, spending ample time beside Sidney Crosby. Fortunately for the two-time defending Cup champs, they are also deep at wing and should have no trouble making up for the loss of Aston-Reese in their top-nine.

  • While the Penguins lose a man to injury, the rival Blue Jackets add one. Columbus announced today that captain Nick Foligno has been activated from injured reserve. Foligno missed more than a week with a lower body injury suffered against the Penguins back on the 18th. However, he’s returning to the lineup sooner than expected. The Blue Jackets are thankful for Foligno’s quick bounce back; not only are they looking to solidify their playoff position, but they also lost forward Josh Anderson to long-term injury recently. Fortunately, Foligno’s return and the additions of Thomas Vanek and Mark Letestu at the trade deadline make for a timely situation to replace Anderson.
  • Speaking of trade deadline injury replacements, the Bruins could not be happier with how their additions played in the absence of Patrice Bergeron last night. When a player of Bergeron’s caliber goes down, the team always suffers. Bergeron will be out at least two weeks with a fractured foot and it showed right away last night on the defensive side of the match-up, as Boston surrendered three easy first period goals to the Carolina Hurricanes. However, it was Rick Nash and Tommy Wingels leading the charge to a comeback victory. The pair of new Bruins combined for two goals and an assist in 32 minutes of ice time as Boston won 4-3.

Trade Deadline Recap: Eastern Conference

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After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Eastern Conference:

Deadline Day

Tampa Bay Lightning receive:
D Ryan McDonagh
F J.T. Miller

New York Rangers receive:
F Vladislav Namestnikov
F Brett Howden
D Libor Hajek
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2019 second-round pick

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
F Thomas Vanek

Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Tyler Motte
F Jussi Jokinen

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
D Ian Cole

Ottawa Senators receive:
F Nick Moutrey
2020 third-round pick

 

New Jersey Devils receive:
F Patrick Maroon

Edmonton Oilers receive:
F J.D. Dudek
2019 third-round pick

 

New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner

Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera

 

Boston Bruins receive:
F Tommy Wingels

Chicago Blackhawks receive:
Conditional 2019 fifth-round pick

 

Pittsburgh Penguins receive:
F Josh Jooris

Carolina Hurricanes receive:
F Greg McKegg

Read more

Early Notes: Columbus, Hartman, Vermette

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The Columbus Blue Jackets added Mark Letestu yesterday for their playoff run, but had checked in on several other options before making the deal. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Blue Jackets offered a third-round pick for Artem Anisimov, hoping the Blackhawks would also retain some salary.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also believes that the Blue Jackets asked about Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka of the St. Louis Blues, but obviously didn’t make a deal. Letestu ended up only costing Columbus a fourth-round pick, which certainly doesn’t take them out of the running today for an additional upgrade.

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that the Chicago Blackhawks are looking for a first-round pick plus another asset for Ryan Hartman, a big ask for a young player with just eight goals this season. Hartman, 23, is a versatile player that could draw interest from many teams, and is a restricted free agent this summer. That could be part of why the Blackhawks are considering moving the forward, as like most years they’ll have some tough decisions to make on their young free agents due to their ongoing cap crunch.
  • Antoine Vermette was held out of the lineup last night for the Anaheim Ducks, and John Shannon of Sportsnet reports on his eight-team approved trade list. Shannon explains that only two of those teams are currently in playoff spots, which could drastically limit any return should the Ducks decide to move him. Vermette is affordable and playoff-tested, but ultimately holds a lot of power in deciding whether he’ll be traded today.

Edmonton’s Maroon Could Be Next Chip To Be Moved

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With a few trades already in the books today, the trading scene only seems to have intensified. Now with the market established for several players, teams are working the phones even harder now. In fact, Pierre LeBrun reports that Edmonton Oilers scorer Patrick Maroon could be the next piece to go as the scribe reports that seven teams have reached out to Edmonton.

Having already moved Mark Letestu in a three-team deal earlier in the day, general manager Peter Chiarelli can focus more on Maroon. The 29-year-old winger could easily bring in a similar haul that the New York Rangers got for Rick Nash when they traded him to Boston this morning for a first-round pick, Ryan Lindgren and veterans Ryan Spooner and Matt Beleskey. Even better is Maroon’s contract situation, which is better than Nash’s. Nash had a cap hit of $7.5MM, but Maroon is in the final year in which he is making $1.5MM, meaning many playoff teams could easily fit that into their remaining cap space.

While he’s not duplicating the 27-goal season he put together a year ago, Maroon has 14 goals and 16 assists this year with the Oilers and at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, he is a physical winger who can put the puck in the net, a prized possession for a team looking for playoff help.

Edmonton’s Letestu Traded To Nashville, Then Flipped To Columbus

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The Nashville Predators traded winger Pontus Aberg to the Edmonton Oilers for center Mark Letestu and then immediately flipped Letestu to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2018 fourth-round pick, according to Pierre LeBrun.

Letestu return to Columbus where he played for four years before signing with the Oilers in 2015. The bottom-six center fills a depth need at center as Columbus has struggled at the position with injuries, but also as a special teamer. He is an excellent penalty killer. In 60 games this season, the 33-year-old Letestu has eight goals and 11 assists and a minus-17 plus/minus ratio. He had a big year last year when he scored 16 goals for the playoff-bound Oilers.

The Oilers added a young scoring forward Aberg, who has had trouble breaking into the Predators’ lineup. The former second-round pick in the 2012 draft has been in and out of the lineup, often as a healthy scratch and has appeared in just 37 games with just two goals and six assists to show for it. He did make a name for himself during the Predators playoff run last year when he had to fill in due to injuries and scored two goals and three assists in 16 games.

For Nashville, the move is essentially a roster dump as the team is likely trying to clear a roster spot to eventually add 2017 first-rounder Eeli Tolvanen when his season is over when his KHL team has been eliminated from the playoffs. The Predators are also likely to bring in veteran Mike Fisher back as well, so roster space was needed.

Edmonton Oilers Will Not “Blow It Up”

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Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli scheduled a press conference today where he took questions from several media members, and the overriding theme of the day was that the team would not “blow it up.”  Chiarelli is not looking to dump players for draft picks just to start the development process again, but instead make tweaks to the roster to try and get back to the level of success found in 2016-17. The team is prioritizing speed in any acquisitions they make, and admitted that they had looked at a couple “hockey deals” recently.

Chiarelli also said that there had been interest in both Patrick Maroon and Mark Letestu, though wouldn’t go into specifics on either player. He also said they’d looked into extensions with some of their pending free agents.

The Oilers have struggled through a very disappointing season, but aren’t going to push the eject button just yet on this group. Though there is work to be done, a Connor McDavid-led team could jump right to the top of the league next season with some adjustments, just as it did a year ago. Chiarelli says he’s not involved in some bigger things going on around the league, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Edmonton is one of the quietest teams at the deadline, outside of perhaps selling off a few rentals. Any big changes are more likely to happen in the summer.

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