General Manager Ken Holland and his Edmonton Oilers have announced the signing of another RFA, Tyler Benson. He signed a one-year, two-way contract that carries a $750,000 AAV. Benson signed for less than his Qualifying Offer of $787,500. This contract is for a NHL minimum and provides him with a nice raise in the AHL.
The #Oilers have signed Tyler Benson to a one-year, two-way contract extension with an AAV of $750,000. The forward played 29 @NHL games last season, scoring his first-career goal on Feb. 20 vs. Minnesota.@TylerBenson_17 | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/RPizgFEMmD
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) August 6, 2022
Tyler Benson was drafted by the Oilers 32nd overall in 2016. Benson has 153 points (38 goals and 115 assists) in 174 games in the AHL but has only 3 points (1 goal and 2 assists ) in 36 games in the NHL.
The second round draft pick turned pro in 2018 and played under then AHL coach/current NHL coach for the Edmonton Oilers, Jay Woodcroft in Bakersfield. Will this familiarity with the coach finally help this former AHL all-star make and stay with the big club? Who knows but this could be an interesting story line if it does. Could Benson, who is still only 24, finally make the club? This season might be his last chance.
What’s Next?
Over the last two weeks, Ken Holland has signed RFAs Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto and as of today Tyler Benson. Puljujarvi got a one-year $3 million deal whereas Yamamoto more recently got a two-year $3.1 million deal. Ryan McLeod, he is the last remaining unsigned RFA and will most likely be signed when the Oilers clear the necessary Cap space. I expect McLeod to be signed for a contract with AAV of between $1million to $1.5 Million. As I mentioned in June, in Who Will The Oilers Trade, Ken Holland still needs to make a trade to get his team under the cap.
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