Edmonton Oilers sign center Kyle Turris to two-year contract

The Edmonton Oilers have made their first splash in the free agency market by signing center Kyle Turris to a two-year contract.

The contract is reported to pay Turris, who was bought out by the Nashville Predators last week, an AAV of $1.65-million. The 31-year-old right-shot is a native of New Westminster, B.C. and has played in 12 NHL seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators.

Over his career, he’s scored 165 goals and 416 points in 726 games.

Two years ago, he signed a massive six-year, $36-million contract, with the Predators but was unable to live up to the expectations that came with it.

Over his two and a half seasons with the Predators, he did score 29 goals and 96 points in 182 games. This past year he scored nine goals and 31 points in 62 games as a second-to-third line player. Seven of those goals and 20 of those points were scored at even-strength.

Turris’ isolated impacts weren’t very good at even-strength bringing offence at a six percent rate below league average and defence at 12 per cent below league average, according to hockeyviz.com. I wonder if the struggles there had to do with the contractual expectations that came with a $6-million AAV.

The truth is, however, is that Turris is a player who has been a consistent point producer throughout his NHL career. Nearly every season he has put up half a point per game and if he can bring that to the Oilers third line over the next two years, that would be tremendous for Edmonton.

The lack of depth scoring at even-strength has been a long-standing issue for the Edmonton Oilers and this is a signing that will help to sure that up.

I can only imagine that Turris is looking to prove himself after the struggles that he saw, so he should be hungry to prove himself.

On top of that, Turris is familiar with Dave Tippett. After being drafted third overall in 2007, Turris played for Tippett in his third, and final season in the desert.

On Twitter: @zjlaing