Ryan Jones signs a 2-year Contract with Edmonton Oilers – National Hockey League Update
After successful negotiations, the management of Edmonton Oilers and forward, Ryan Jones, have agreed on a two-year deal which was announced by the team’s spokesperson on Sunday, May 29th, to keep Ryan out of the free agency and unavailable for
being picked by other clubs.
The 26-year-old left winger was drafted in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft in the fourth round and 111th overall pick by Minnesota Wild but continued playing with Miami University Red Hawks and Houston Aeros in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association
(CCHA) and American Hockey League (AHL) leagues, respectively, until he finally joined Nashville Predators in 2008.
Ryan Jones is from Chatham, Ontario, and has been with the club since he was claimed on waivers by Edmonton Oilers, early in 2010.
He played 81 games last year and was a top performer for Oilers that has been struggling the past few seasons.
During this time frame, Ryan picked up 25 points, including 18 goals and seven assists, to tie with his team’s rightwing, Jordan Eberle, as the second highest shooter on the team, four points behind team leader Taylor Hall.
He did not mention how much he signed for during the press conference but it is known that his salary-cap is $1.5 million. Jones has avoided becoming an unrestricted free agent by not giving his resignation, due on July 1st.
The extension in Ryan’s contract is considered to be a smart move by Oilers since it is already short of performers.
“It’s nice to get it over with ... you can see why things get dragged out in the summer with the NHL combine, the draft, then the draft’s done and there’s the prospect camps going on”, said Jones. “I wasn’t that nervous. I felt a deal would get done because
they were happy with me and me with them. There was no need to go to July 1. I’m happy with the opportunity I was given last year and the potential of the team”.
Along with Jones and a number of draft picks, Edmonton is on the verge of building a great team for the 2011-2012 season, since everyone associated with the club agrees that it is time to forget the past and look forward to the future.
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