Ken Holland explains decision to sign Jake Virtanen to PTO
After plenty of speculation, the Edmonton Oilers announced on Monday that they have signed forward Jake Virtanen to a professional tryout offer (PTO).
This move was met with plenty of scrutiny, as Virtanen was accused of an alleged sexual assault during the 2019-20 season, one that resulted in the Vancouver Canucks placing him on leave. This summer, he was found not guilty in court, and as a result had received interest from a number of NHL teams in recent weeks. Despite the not guilty verdict, however, many still believe he shouldn't be given this opportunity, and were quick to chastise Ken Holland for the transaction. The Oilers general manager attempted to explain his thought process on the move when speaking with media Monday afternoon.
Whether fair or not, the Oilers have gained themselves a negative reputation in some individuals minds, as they also brought in Evander Kane last season who had several ongoing issues at the time. As Holland said, however, Virtanen was found not guilty, so perhaps this opportunity is justified. Whether or not he is able to capitalize on it and earn himself a contract remains to be seen.
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APRIL 24, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Kirby Dach | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Alexandre Texier | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Dylan Guenther | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Vasily Podkolzin | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brayden Point | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mackenzie Weegar | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan Cooley | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jake Guentzel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Clayton Keller | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Liam O'Brien | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Arber Xhekaj | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Kailer Yamamoto | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| Evan Bouchard | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||
| 2025-2026 NHL STANDINGS | ||||||
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Sabres | 82 | 50 | 23 | 9 | 109 | |
| Lightning | 82 | 50 | 26 | 6 | 106 | |
| Canadiens | 82 | 48 | 24 | 10 | 106 | |
| Bruins | 82 | 45 | 27 | 10 | 100 | |
| Senators | 82 | 44 | 27 | 11 | 99 | |
| Red Wings | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | |
| Panthers | 82 | 40 | 38 | 4 | 84 | |
| Maple Leafs | 82 | 32 | 36 | 14 | 78 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Hurricanes | 82 | 53 | 22 | 7 | 113 | |
| Penguins | 82 | 41 | 25 | 16 | 98 | |
| Flyers | 82 | 43 | 27 | 12 | 98 | |
| Capitals | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | |
| Blue Jackets | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | 92 | |
| Islanders | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | 91 | |
| Devils | 82 | 42 | 37 | 3 | 87 | |
| Rangers | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Avalanche | 82 | 55 | 16 | 11 | 121 | |
| Stars | 82 | 50 | 20 | 12 | 112 | |
| Wild | 82 | 46 | 24 | 12 | 104 | |
| Mammoth | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Blues | 82 | 37 | 33 | 12 | 86 | |
| Predators | 82 | 38 | 34 | 10 | 86 | |
| Jets | 82 | 35 | 35 | 12 | 82 | |
| Blackhawks | 82 | 29 | 39 | 14 | 72 | |
| GP | W | L | OL | PTS | ||
| Golden Knights | 82 | 39 | 26 | 17 | 95 | |
| Oilers | 82 | 41 | 30 | 11 | 93 | |
| Ducks | 82 | 43 | 33 | 6 | 92 | |
| Kings | 82 | 35 | 27 | 20 | 90 | |
| Sharks | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | |
| Kraken | 82 | 34 | 37 | 11 | 79 | |
| Flames | 82 | 34 | 39 | 9 | 77 | |
| Canucks | 82 | 25 | 49 | 8 | 58 | |
COMPLETE STANDINGS | ||||||