Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2015 9:45:26 GMT -5
Bill Skinner here in Edmonton, catching up with the man in charge, Chris Mitchell for a rundown of the newest members of the Oilers franchise.
Bill Skinner: "Chris, you ended up using all of your selections in the free agent draft. How satisfied are you with the newest members of the team?"
Chris Mitchell: "Im pretty happy with the selections that I made actually. There were a few players that I had targeted that didnt last as long as I thought they would, but I had quite an extensive list of players that would fit in the budget, and Im definately happy with them all. Basically, I was able to fill some holes in the roster, and also add some help for our farm team as well. Seeing as this type of draft isnt big news, I will give you a quick rundown of the players that I acquired:
Chad Johnson - G: I think Chad will be a reliable back-up for us. Bishop will carry the majority of the load for us as expected, but I think Johnson will be a very capable player when Bishop needs a night off. His contract was very affordable, so Im very happy to have him locked up for 2 years at $1,300,000.
Matt Frattin - RW: Matt will probably spend most of his time in the minors, and he knows this. He has some speed, and I think he can be a decent player for us. Hopefully he can stay healthy, and continue to work on his game. Having him in the fold for 2 years at only $800,000 as well made him a pretty easy choice.
Steve Ott - C: Steve is the type of player that you love to have on your team, but you hate to play against him. I think Steve is going to add to our leadership here in Edmonton, and he will definately add some grit to our team. He will most likely be used in 3rd and 4th line duty, and possibly some PK time as well. Im glad he is on our team so that he can hopefully make life miserable for our opponents. A 2 year contract with him at $2,600,000 was also very easy to take on.
Carlo Colaiacovo - D: Carlo is a veteran defenseman who may or may not see regular ice time with us. He isnt going to produce offensive numbers for us, but he does add a solid piece to our defense. It just comes down to how healthy he can stay, and how well he performs. Its a low risk signing for 1 year at only $625,000.
Travis Morin - C: Travis is a depth forward for us who will probably play mostly in the minors. He gives us a few more options up front, and with only a 1 year deal at $550,000 it made sense to take a chance on him.
Andrew MacWilliam - D: Andrew is a fairly young defenseman who doesnt bring anything to the table as far as offense goes, but I think he could definately be a solid 3rd pairing defenseman for us. His role will mostly be in the minors, with the possibility of seeing some fill in time with the big club. He has good size, and he keeps things simple in his own end. At 1 year for only $875,000 it was a gamble I felt worth taking.
Kyle Brodziak - RW: Kyle is a veteran forward who along with Steve Ott, will add some leadership and experience to our forwards. I do see Kyle getting ice time with the big club, probably on the 3rd and 4th lines, depending on how things play out. Kyle can play all forward positions, so that gives us some more room to move players around, and get the right combinations. For a 1 year contract at $2,835,000 its a gamble that I think will pay off for us this season."
Bill Skinner: "Thanks for your time Chris. Im sure you have a lot to do now with getting your lines put together, and seeing where everyone will fit. Good luck the rest of the off-season, and Ill be in touch."
Chris Mitchell: "Thank you as well Bill. Its always a pleasure. I will be in touch."
There you have it. 7 more new faces here in Edmonton. This is quite a different look from a year ago when Chris took the team over near the end of the draft. Reporting live from Edmonton, this is Bill Skinner.
Bill Skinner: "Chris, you ended up using all of your selections in the free agent draft. How satisfied are you with the newest members of the team?"
Chris Mitchell: "Im pretty happy with the selections that I made actually. There were a few players that I had targeted that didnt last as long as I thought they would, but I had quite an extensive list of players that would fit in the budget, and Im definately happy with them all. Basically, I was able to fill some holes in the roster, and also add some help for our farm team as well. Seeing as this type of draft isnt big news, I will give you a quick rundown of the players that I acquired:
Chad Johnson - G: I think Chad will be a reliable back-up for us. Bishop will carry the majority of the load for us as expected, but I think Johnson will be a very capable player when Bishop needs a night off. His contract was very affordable, so Im very happy to have him locked up for 2 years at $1,300,000.
Matt Frattin - RW: Matt will probably spend most of his time in the minors, and he knows this. He has some speed, and I think he can be a decent player for us. Hopefully he can stay healthy, and continue to work on his game. Having him in the fold for 2 years at only $800,000 as well made him a pretty easy choice.
Steve Ott - C: Steve is the type of player that you love to have on your team, but you hate to play against him. I think Steve is going to add to our leadership here in Edmonton, and he will definately add some grit to our team. He will most likely be used in 3rd and 4th line duty, and possibly some PK time as well. Im glad he is on our team so that he can hopefully make life miserable for our opponents. A 2 year contract with him at $2,600,000 was also very easy to take on.
Carlo Colaiacovo - D: Carlo is a veteran defenseman who may or may not see regular ice time with us. He isnt going to produce offensive numbers for us, but he does add a solid piece to our defense. It just comes down to how healthy he can stay, and how well he performs. Its a low risk signing for 1 year at only $625,000.
Travis Morin - C: Travis is a depth forward for us who will probably play mostly in the minors. He gives us a few more options up front, and with only a 1 year deal at $550,000 it made sense to take a chance on him.
Andrew MacWilliam - D: Andrew is a fairly young defenseman who doesnt bring anything to the table as far as offense goes, but I think he could definately be a solid 3rd pairing defenseman for us. His role will mostly be in the minors, with the possibility of seeing some fill in time with the big club. He has good size, and he keeps things simple in his own end. At 1 year for only $875,000 it was a gamble I felt worth taking.
Kyle Brodziak - RW: Kyle is a veteran forward who along with Steve Ott, will add some leadership and experience to our forwards. I do see Kyle getting ice time with the big club, probably on the 3rd and 4th lines, depending on how things play out. Kyle can play all forward positions, so that gives us some more room to move players around, and get the right combinations. For a 1 year contract at $2,835,000 its a gamble that I think will pay off for us this season."
Bill Skinner: "Thanks for your time Chris. Im sure you have a lot to do now with getting your lines put together, and seeing where everyone will fit. Good luck the rest of the off-season, and Ill be in touch."
Chris Mitchell: "Thank you as well Bill. Its always a pleasure. I will be in touch."
There you have it. 7 more new faces here in Edmonton. This is quite a different look from a year ago when Chris took the team over near the end of the draft. Reporting live from Edmonton, this is Bill Skinner.
