Oilers Expected to Announce Contract with Another Defenceman Before Regular Season

According to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal, the Oilers are expected to announce a contract in the next few days for Travis Dermott to serve as the team's 7th defenceman.

The Oilers waived defenceman Josh Brown today as he struggled mightily in preseason, while Travis Dermott and Troy Stecher proved their worth. It's a great sign that Dernott will make the team based on merit, and the contract status of other players doesn't guarantee a roster spot.

Dermott is a 27 year old left shot defenceman that was drafted in the second round by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's a smooth skating defender, able to make a play, and has positive analytics by all accounts. He's played 329 career games in his career and made a few playoff appearances, but struggled last season with the Arizona Coyotes. The Oilers can likely get a lot more out of him than Arizona.

Despite still not being signed as training camp concludes, Dermott was still at practice today and was seen having a long chat with Coach Knoblauch. After practice, Knoblauch raved about Dermott's camp and only said time will tell if he is signed. Dermott is a former player of Knoblauch's in junior, and is also a lifelong friend of Connor McDavid.

Dermott's training camp has impressed many in Edmonton, and he's surely earned another opportunity in the NHL. Hopefully the Oilers will be able to keep him for depth, because otherwise another team will likely come to sign him. The puck drops on the Oilers regular season this Wednesday!