Quietly, Devin Shore had a decent 2021-22 campaign with the Edmonton Oilers. Much like a lot of players, things were shaky early in the year but got better as things went along.

Shore played largely as the Oilers’ 13th forward, but still drew into 49 games averaging 9:34 in ice time per game. He scored five goals and 11 points and managed to be a solid contributor. A cost-effective option, there really wasn’t all that much to complain about when it came to his game last year.

Okay so maaaybe there’s a bit to complain about. Shore’s numbers beyond his shot attempt share were far from ideal. His SCF%, GF% and xGF% are all well below his teammates, but he also got bit by the PDO bug and that definitely impacted his on-ice goal share. His goals for and against rates were about team average, so that’s not the worst thing in the world all things considering.

His isolated impacts were below average, too. Offensively he contributed at a five percent rate below league average and defensively, at a two percent rate below league average.

While he was a physical presence and helped create some energy when on the ice, the truth is there are better options out there for the Oilers. He still has a year left on his deal paying him just $850k, so for that reason alone he could find himself as a number 13 or 14 forward. I think there’s just as good of a chance he winds up in Bakersfield as he does as a depth piece this year.