Edmonton Oilers release Brandon Sutter from professional tryout as veteran announces retirement

Brandon Sutter has been released from a professional tryout and is set to retire from the NHL.

Sutter, 34, joined the Oilers on the PTO this year after missing the last two seasons of NHL action due to long COVID.

In a statement, he said his retirement was made with his health and his family in mind.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity that Ken, Jay and the Oilers organization have provided to me the past few weeks,” Sutter said. “You need to be 100 percent healthy to compete in the NHL, and although my health continues to improve, in consideration of my health and family, I am officially retiring from hockey.

“Thank you to the Oilers, Canucks, Penguins and Hurricanes, as well as all my past coaches, trainers and teammates for the incredible experiences throughout my 13 seasons in the NHL.”

The veteran of 770 NHL games appeared in three pre-season contests for the Oilers playing 41:33 of ice time notching one assist. His career as a whole saw him score 152 goals and 289 points.

Drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes 11th overall in the 2007 draft, he broke into the NHL in the 2008-09 season and spent his first four seasons in Raleigh. A June 2012 trade, however, would send him, defenceman Brian Dumoulin, and a first-round pick in that years drafted to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Jordan Staal. Three years and a month later, he would be on the move once again heading to the Vancouver Canucks.

Sutter would spend six years — the bulk of his career — on the West Coast playing 275 games over that stretch.

He was one of few players who came to Oilers camp on a professional tryout, and had been pegged by some as the club’s fourth-line centre for this season. Now, competition for that spot remains wide open. Options for the Oilers include Derek Ryan, Lane Pederson, Brad Malone and Sam Gagner.

Of all centres, Pederson has far and away gotten the most runway in the pre-season dressing in four games playing 63:45 in ice time. He’s still a relative unknown having played in 71 NHL games over the last three seasons, but the coaching staff is clearly looking to give him some run to see what he can do.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.