Oilers re-sign Davidson, Brossoit early during deadline day

VANCOUVER, BC - APRIL 11: Brandon Davidson #88 of the Edmonton Oilers skates in NHL action against the Vancouver Canucks on April, 11, 2015 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)

This morning, the Oilers announced that both Brandon Davidson and Laurent Brossoit had re-signed for two more years.

For Davidson, the deal comes after a very strong rookie campaign in Edmonton that has seen him playing big minutes as of late, as many as 25 minutes a game. Davidson’s shot-attempt differential (i.e., Corsi) relative to the team average is +3.6%, or 8 shot attempts per 60 minutes, which is the most among the defensemen. His production at even-strength is 0.36 points/60 minutes, which is the 3rd best among the D. At beginning of the season, I would not have predicted that Davidson would step in as a rookie and have that kind of impact. He has shown that he is a very smart player and does not panic with the puck.

His no-backing-down mentality has been infectious in Edmonton and something the team has sorely lacked in years past. After beating cancer in his first year in the American Hockey League, Davidson has fought through adversity and has now earned a nice little two-year raise, tripling his current salary.

Moving forward, the sky is the limit for this kid.

The two-year extension for Brossoit is also an interesting one. The term and dollar-figure suggest to me that the Oilers feel he will, at the very least, compete for a backup position on the Oilers roster. Moving forward, I believe there is a strong chance that he does make the team as a full time backup. This season, in the American Hockey League, Brossoit has posted a .919 save percentage and earned 40 wins in his last 81 AHL games.

I have been a big fan of Brossoit the last few years. I would love to see him get some NHL games down the stretch between now and the season’s end. In his limited NHL time (2 games), Brossoit has performed well with a .954 save% and 1.45 goals-against average.

Zach Laing Written by: