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The Edmonton Oilers announced on Saturday morning that LW Tyler Benson had signed a one-year deal carrying a $775k AAV. The former 2016 2nd-round pick played in 29 games with the Oilers picking up just two points.
The #Oilers have signed Tyler Benson to a one-year, two-way contract extension with an AAV of $750,000. The forward played 29 @NHL games last season, scoring his first-career goal on Feb. 20 vs. Minnesota.@TylerBenson_17 | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/RPizgFEMmD
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) August 6, 2022
The deal comes as the Oilers are once again experiencing a cap crunch. Before signing Benson the team had just over $300k in cap space. This deal will probably not affect their situation as it’s expected that Benson will start the year in the AHL with Bakersfield, where he will carry a salary of $275k.
Full details of the contract can be seen here:
The #LetsGoOilers re-signed 24 y/o RFA Tyler Benson to 1 year deal:
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) August 6, 2022
NHL 750K
Minors 275K
Guaranteed 350K
Rep’d by Craig Oster @TheHockeyAgency https://t.co/BQVjMBrc4h
Benson has been a polarizing player among the Oilers fanbase. He has had a very successful run in the AHL, scoring 153pts in 174 games with Bakersfield, but has struggled to translate that success to the NHL.
He has shown a willingness to engage physically at a high level and be a pest to opponents, which could be valued more highly by the organization now that Zack Kassian has departed.
Overall, keeping around Tyler Benson is a smart move by the organization as he will provide a solid veteran presence for the AHL club and a decent call-up option if the bottom-six faces injury problems next season. Since he will be primarily an AHL player this coming season there is no need to worry about how his contract will affect the Oilers' cap situation in the immediate future.
All eyes will now turn to Edmonton’s last remaining RFA, Ryan McLeod.
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