It's no secret the Edmonton Oilers are on the hunt for someone to fill the middle slot on their third line. The team was rumoured to be in negotiations with unrestricted free agent Derick Brassard as early as the beginning of August, until he officially signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the New York Islanders. According to Jim Matheson, who covers the Oilers for the Edmonton Journal, the team will likely take a hard look and UFA centre Riley Sheahan.
-
Sheahan played for current Edmonton GM Ken Holland when Holland was the general manager of the Detroit Red Wing. While never a star player, Sheahan did have his best years in the NHL points-wise while playing in Michigan, managing a career high of 36 in 2014-2015. While the 27-year-old has remained very good in the face-off circle, his point production was nothing spectacular last season. In 82 games split between Pittsburgh and Florida, he managed 9 goals and 10 assists for 19 points. That said, his numbers aren't all that different from Brassard's, who had 14 goals and 9 assists for 23 points last season in 70 games. If Brassard can get a guaranteed $1.2 million, surely a PTO for Sheahan doesn't seem that far-fetched.
