Just days after the Edmonton Oilers began training camp, they locked up Oscar Klefbom for the foreseeable future. On Sunday, the club announced it had signed its star defenseman to a seven-year contract extension, which will keep him in Edmonton until at least 2023.
Klefbom, 22, was the Oilers' first-round pick in 2011 but has been slowly weaved into the lineup. He has appeared in only 77 games, totaling 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) while showing some promise on the defensive end. Craig Custance of ESPN reported the deal will have an average annual value of $4.167 million.
Because of its length and Klefbom's small sample of games played, the deal will undoubtedly be polarizing. Seven years is a long time for a player who doesn't even have a full season's worth of elite production in his past. It's also a solid salary number, which means the Oilers are obviously going all-in on locking up their young core.
"This is a major bet on a promising young defender, but a solid bet," wrote David Staples of the Edmonton Journal. "Klefbom is 22, with five years remaining before he’s an unrestricted free agent. So the Oilers ...
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Article written by Tyler Conway
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