Jordan Oesterle could be the Leafs' next Simon Benoit
Pending free agent defenseman Jordan Oesterle has yet to find a stable home, much like Simon Benoit until he joined the Maple Leafs last season.
At 31, Oesterle is a few years older than Benoit, but as we all know, some players take a little bit longer to find their game and develop and every single year, someone emerges, having a standout season.
Since turning pro with the Edmonton oilers at 22 in the 2014-2015 seasons, Oesterle has bounced around, also spending time with Chicago, Arizona, Detroit and most recently Calgary. The left-shot blueliner can play both sides much like Jake McCabe and TJ Brodie.
Having just 86 points in 371 career games, Oesterle isn't an offensive dynamo, but is well known for willingness to sacrifice his body, blocking shots and throwing hits. The 31-year-old has 565 blocks and 318 hits over his career and like Benoit was at first, would be seen as a seventh or eighth defenseman for the Leafs.
AFP Analytics projects a 1-year, league minimum contract ($775K) if he were to reach free agency and given the number of major holes the Leafs have to fill, would be considered a very solid depth signing. As we reported over the weekend, Oesterle has a close relationship with Bertuzzi, which gives the Leafs a bit of extra incentive to try to sign the Michigan native, hoping it helps Tyler Bertuzzi sign long-term.
Source: Hockey Reference
Jordan Oesterle career statistics
| POLL | ||
JUIN 17 | 184 ANSWERS Jordan Oesterle could be the Leafs' next Simon Benoit Would you be okay with the Leafs signing Oesterle as a depth option? | ||
| Yes | 91 | 49.5 % |
| No | 36 | 19.6 % |
| Not Sure | 57 | 31 % |
| List of polls | ||
