One of the names on Edmonton’s expansion ‘available’ list is Jordan Oesterle. It’s easy to forget about him, he is a UFA this summer and had some injury issues this past season. The fleet defender did some good things last season and remains a player of interest.

Oesterle’s reputation is as a puck mover and an extremely mobile player. He is not known for his defense and at even strength this season was mid-pack in goals-for versus goals-against. You may have a different view, but my reading of this chart is Simpson, Fayne, Reinhart and Musil have a story to tell. At the AHL level, these fellows can play. Oesterle is just shy of that level defensively, but the difference could be luck and injury. Mark Fraser may be in that area where it’s been too long at the fair, and the rest are filler or men getting their first taste of the league. (One final note: Ben Betker had a nice 30 games, we’ll have to pay attention next season).

A year ago, Oesterle was 36-41 (-5) in this discipline. The best number posted by a Bakersfield defender so far? A tie, at +10. Oscar Klefbom (in nine games) and Brandon Davidson posted that number in 2014-15. Source

This is where Oesterle shines and I think what gets him an NHL contract this summer. In the AHL he’s solid defensively and has an impact offensively. Put another way, he’s better than Brad Hunt defensively and has some of the same elements of Hunt with the puck.

Note: Eric Rodgers provides these numbers, in a labor of love that goes back to the Oklahoma City Barons. I sincerely thank him for his hard work (which is here).

Vegas Golden Knights are probably taking Griffin Reinhart as their choice from Edmonton in the expansion draft. George McPhee might be wise to wheel back to Bakersfield in the early days of July to sign Jordan Oesterle. Based on the numbers Eric Rodgers provided to us, Jordan Oesterle’s offense is the one item that stands out from this crowd.