Forward Jake Virtanen Earns NHL PTO Ahead of 2022-23 Season

The Edmonton Oilers announced today they have signed forward Jake Virtanen and defenseman Jason Demers to professional tryout contracts:

Virtanen, 26, is coming off of a KHL stint in which he managed 16 points in 36 games after being blacklisted from the NHL due to a sexual assault lawsuit. Although he was found not-guilty, Virtanen still has work to do in restoring his personal reputation, as well as proving he is an NHL-calibre player.

In 317 NHL games, Virtanen has just 100 points. He will join a strong Oilers' forward group, so perhaps he will be able to gel right away. Still, lots of people are not going to like this signing, from a purely optical standpoint.

Demers, on the other hand, is coming off a KHL stint following a four-season run with the Arizona Coyotes. There, he posted eight goals over four seasons and saw himself demoted to the AHL at one point.

Once a bonafide top-four defenseman, Demers was passed by the game rather quickly, and his career hangs on by a thread. In 699 NHL games, Demers has 214 points, which is actually quite solid, especially factoring in his time in Arizona, where his scoring was virtually non-existent; he scored at a .22 points per game pace in Arizona, compared to a .34 points per game pace the rest of his NHL career.

For a team on the cusp, the Oilers are throwing some Hail-Mary's this summer, taking chances on more than one 'misfit.'

After getting swept in the Western Conference Finals, the Oilers have now taken flyers on Ryan Murray, Jake Virtanen, and Jason Demers without adding much else. They will next to no cap space once their long-term injured reserve savings kick in, per CapFriendly, so they may have an issue fitting in their PTOs, should they elect to sign them. The Oilers' time to win a cup is dwindling, and each year they fail to do so increases the chances of one of Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl moving on.

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