Swiss forward Gaëtan Haas is reportedly close to signing with the Oilers
By Cam Lewis
4 years agoIt looks like Ken Holland is going to dip into the European free agent market again. A few weeks after inking Swedish winger Joakim Nygard to a one-year deal, a report from Switzerland indicates the Oilers are closing in on a deal with centre Gaëtan Haas of SC Bern.
27-year-old Haas is close to signing a deal with the Edmonton Oilers, as Watson reports. The forward was said to have been offered a contract over a month ago by the same source but was not yet allowed to disclose from which team. Jaro Turma, his agent, confirms having received the offer.Haas signed a contract extension with Bern back in January which includes an NHL-out clause for this summer which would allow him to leave for North America.
Haas, a 27-year-old Swiss centre who has played his entire career in his home country, scored 15 goals and 38 points in 50 games for SC Bern last season. He also went on to put up three points in eight games for Switzerland at the World Hockey Championships.
According to a scouting report from Elite Prospects, Haas plays a smart and responsible two-way game…
Gaetan Haas is an offensive center, who plays a reliable and smart two-way game. An excellent skater, who reaches very good top-speed and can make end-to-end rushes. Has soft hands and strong puck-skills. Haas sees the ice well and can play the point on the Power Play, distributing the puck using his excellent vision. He leads by example by competing hard for the puck, doing solid backchecking and not being afraid blocking shots, rounding out his solid defensive game. Haas can lead a team’s shutdown line.
Haas’ numbers in Switzerland aren’t eye-popping. For the sake of comparison, former Oiler Mark Arcobello led Bern in scoring with 53 points. But the scouting report about him being a two-way player who can drive a defensive line makes him an interesting player who could potentially plug a hole in Edmonton’s bottom-six.
The Oilers need to find cheap talent that can help up front and the European free agent market provides some interesting options. The thing with these signings is that there’s virtually zero risk attached. Maybe you can find a solid depth player. At the very worst, all you’ve lost is a spot on your 50 contracts list.
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