Ken Holland’s summer has officially kicked off.

The Edmonton Oilers announced Tuesday they have signed forward Brad Malone to a two-year, two-way contract extension. the deal carries an AAV of $762,500.

Malone, 33, joined the Oilers organization in 2017 but as spent the majority of his time in the American Hockey League. He’s appeared in 226 games over five seasons scoring 58 goals and 149 points.

This past season Malone earned an NHL contract and appeared in eight regular-season games with the Oilers scoring a goal and an assist. He also drew in for two playoff games with the Oilers, their final two of the post-season, but didn’t register a point.

Named captain of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors ahead of the 2020-21 season, Malone appeared in 52 games this past campaign scoring 14 goals and 39 points, both highs in his AHL career.

The contract brings back a reliable veteran leader for their AHL club, while also providing some security in the big leagues. Part of me wonders if given the relationship between Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft and Malone, we see the latter play extended stints in Edmonton this season.