Rangers Sign Former Oilers Talented Star Forward to PTO

Rangers Seek Postseason Redemption After Presidents’ Trophy, Conference Finals Defeat.

The New York Rangers dominated the 2023-24 regular season, capturing the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s best team. However, their incredible campaign came to a disappointing end in the Eastern Conference Finals, as they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

With the sting of that playoff defeat still fresh, the Rangers are looking to strengthen their roster ahead of the 2024-25 season. The team is reportedly bringing in veteran forward Adam Erne on a professional tryout (PTO) agreement, as confirmed by TSN’s Darren Dreger.

The Rangers will be aiming to use this offseason to pull the right strings and improve their postseason performance, after coming up just short of the Stanley Cup Final last year despite their regular season dominance. The addition of Erne on a PTO could provide the team with valuable depth and experience as they look to make another deep playoff run.

The New York Rangers have signed Adam Erne to a PTO.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) September 10, 2024

Veteran Forward Adam Erne Joins Rangers on PTO, Seeking Roster Spot.

Adam Erne is a veteran of eight NHL seasons, originally drafted 33rd overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2013 draft. Erne was projected to be a powerful, physical forward in the mold of old-school hockey players, after a dynamic junior career in the QMJHL. The Lightning were thrilled to land him in the second round.

However, Erne has never fully lived up to those lofty projections from his junior days. Still, he’s carved out a role as a serviceable depth forward in the NHL, playing for several teams over the years.

After a breakout 20-point season with the Lightning in 2018-19, Erne joined the Detroit Red Wings, where he found more consistency. Over three seasons with the Red Wings, Erne recorded 20, 19, and 18 points respectively, including a career-best 11 goals in just 45 games during the 2020-21 campaign.

Last season, Erne signed with the Edmonton Oilers as a free agent, but he was largely a healthy scratch, appearing in just 24 regular season games and none of the Oilers’ playoff contests.

Now, Erne is joining the Rangers on a professional tryout agreement, looking to secure a roster spot and contract for the upcoming 2024-25 season. The Rangers, a team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals last year, are seeking the right depth pieces to complement their core, giving Erne a golden opportunity to re-establish himself as a reliable bottom-six forward in the NHL.

Connor McDavid Updates Contract Status With Oilers.

The Edmonton Oilers made headlines earlier this offseason when they signed superstar Leon Draisaitl to a massive $14 million per year contract extension, making him the highest-paid player in NHL history. However, that contract has quickly been overshadowed by the looming speculation surrounding the future of the Oilers’ other franchise cornerstone, Connor McDavid.

McDavid, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the league, is entering the second-to-last year of his current contract that carries an average annual value of $12.5 million. The 27-year-old, five-time Art Ross Trophy winner and three-time MVP can begin negotiating a new deal once the upcoming 2024-25 season concludes.

Unsurprisingly, the league and media have already begun churning the rumor mill and speculating on McDavid’s long-term future in Edmonton. However, when asked about his contract situation and the possibility of staying with the Oilers long-term, McDavid was direct in his response, stating that his focus is solely on the upcoming season and preparing himself and the team for success.

“It’s something that I’m not gonna worry about or really deal with,” McDavid said. “It’s a question I’ll answer once. I’m worried about this year. I’m worried about being ready for the season, both myself personally and the group. And that’s where my focus is at, it’s not on anything else. That stuff takes care of itself.”

Despite McDavid’s dismissal of the contract speculation, it seems reasonable to project that he could surpass Draisaitl’s new record-breaking deal next summer, should the Oilers aim to retain the services of their generational superstar. For now, the focus remains on the upcoming season, as the Oilers look to build on their recent success and make a deep playoff run.

Oilers Sign Former Coyotes Defenseman to PTO.

The Edmonton Oilers have made significant improvements to their roster this offseason and are not done making adjustments, particularly to their defensive unit. As training camps are set to begin soon, free agent players are being signed to professional tryout (PTO) contracts in hopes of earning full-time deals. The Oilers are also looking to add to their blue line through this avenue.

According to reports from Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the Oilers are expected to sign defenseman Travis Dermott to a PTO contract. Dermott will join the Oilers and participate in their informal preseason skates before officially signing the tryout offer.

The Oilers are clearly still working to strengthen their defensive corps ahead of the upcoming season, and the addition of Dermott on a PTO could provide them with another potential option to solidify their backend.

Been lots of speculation on #Oilers defense plans … Expectation is we'll see Travis Dermott arrive in Edmonton for voluntary captain's skates this week, with a formal PTO to follow.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 10, 2024

 

The Edmonton Oilers have not officially announced anything regarding Travis Dermott, but there have been ongoing discussions about the team’s desire to make further moves to bolster their defensive group.

Dermott is a 27-year-old defenseman who has established himself as a steady NHL player. He was originally drafted in the second round (34th overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015 and spent the majority of his career with that organization, playing in 251 games and recording 52 points over five seasons.

Prior to the 2022 trade deadline, the Maple Leafs dealt Dermott to the Vancouver Canucks, where he played in 28 games over parts of two seasons. This past offseason, Dermott signed with the Arizona Coyotes, where he found more consistent playing time, appearing in 50 games and registering 7 points during the 2023-24 season.

The Oilers have been actively looking to make changes to their defensive unit this offseason. They lost Philip Broberg to the St. Louis Blues via offer sheet, traded away Cody Ceci, and Brett Kulak’s roster spot is not entirely secure. If Dermott is able to impress during the Oilers’ upcoming training camp and preseason, he could potentially force the team to make even more adjustments to their defensive corps.

Oilers GM Shuts Down Blues Narrative.

The St. Louis Blues made NHL history this offseason by successfully signing restricted free agents Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to offer sheets, effectively poaching these young talents from the Edmonton Oilers. Offer sheets are a rare occurrence in the league, so this move by the Blues has sparked significant speculation about the motivations behind it.

However, according to Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, the decision was a straightforward one, driven solely by what he believes is best for the Blues organization. Armstrong was eager to dismiss any notion that personal factors played a role, stating that he would have made the same moves regardless of the circumstances.

In fact, Armstrong and Oilers GM Stan Bowman have a solid working relationship, and there are no hard feelings between the two executives. Bowman acknowledged that the deals proposed by the Blues were simply too rich for the Oilers, given their priority to sign a contract extension with superstar Leon Draisaitl.

Both Armstrong and Bowman understand that this is simply part of the business, and they have discussed the situation openly. Armstrong emphasized that he was doing what he believed was best for the Blues, and Bowman respected that decision, even though it resulted in the Oilers losing two promising young players.

Now, the focus shifts to the long-term impact of these signings. If Broberg and Holloway become important contributors for the Blues, Armstrong will be hailed as a savvy executive. Conversely, if either player fails to live up to their contracts, Bowman may be the one who comes out looking like the winner in this transaction. Regardless, the two GMs maintain a professional relationship, and this was simply a business decision made in the best interests of their respective organizations.