Throwback Thursday: Today in 2008, Edmonton Oilers sign Shawn Horcoff to six-year contract extension

It was 12 years ago today that the Edmonton Oilers signed Shawn Horcoff to a six-year, $5.5-million AAV contract.

Horcoff had just come off one of his best seasons with the Oilers in 2007-08 scoring 21 goals and 50 points and was two years removed from his best season in 2005-06. That year he put up 22 goals and 73 points as the Oilers embarked on their historic cup run.

The native of Trail, B.C. nearly played out the entirety of his contract in Edmonton before being traded ahead of his sixth and final year of the contract. In 316 games through those five years, Horcoff scored 59 goals and 162 points nearly right in line with his prior career averages.

He was a solid player over his entire Oilers career and may not have been as appreciated as he should’ve been. He undoubtedly carried a heavy load for the Oilers and likely didn’t receive enough credit for what he did.

His biggest knock may have been his inability to stay healthy missing big chunks of seasons. But nonetheless, there’s no denying the success Horcoff had as a fourth-round draft pick in the 1998 draft out of Michigan State University.

“I’ve been with the same organization ever since I’ve been drafted, it’s been eight years now and to sign another long extension like this it feels like exactly the thing we want and the right thing to do,” said Horcoff at the time of his extension.

The Oilers traded Horcoff to the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenceman Phillip Larsen and a 2016 7th round pick in July 2013. He would play there for two years before joining the Anaheim Ducks in 2015-16 with whom he would retire with following the season.

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