NHL Rumors: Kris Versteeg signs PTO with Oilers

Kris Versteeg is back and will sign a PTO with the Edmonton Oilers. 

Many found themselves surprised when Kris Versteeg signed a contract to play overseas this offseason. However, he didn’t pass his physical, so he is returning to North America. According to sources, Versteeg will sign a professional try out deal with the Edmonton Oilers.

Versteeg has to sign a PTO since his health is obviously in question since he didn’t pass his physical in Europe. Why he didn’t pass is not known. However, if Versteeg gets a clean bill of health, he should be able to be a valuable asset for the Oilers.

Related Story: Each NHL Team's Biggest What If Moment

The Oilers are a very young team who need some veteran leaders. Versteeg is not a star, but he has been quietly productive throughout his NHL career. As a two-time Stanley Cup champion, Versteeg knows what it takes to win. He can pass that knowledge onto the Oilers’ young players.

Injuries happen throughout the season. You can never have too much depth at any position. Versteeg is a legitimate top nine forward who can score. Depending on who he gets to play with, 50 points is quite reasonable for Versteeg. He hasn’t achieved that total since the 2011-12 season, but in Edmonton, he could play with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

Versteeg has 313 points in 550 career NHL games. He spent last season with the Carolina Hurricanes before getting traded to the Los Angeles Kings. In 2015-16, Versteeg had 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points.

The Oilers are trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Their franchise has been terrible since losing in the 2005-06 Stanley Cup Finals. They do, however, have a lot of promising young players. Edmonton has also finally gotten a true top pairing defenseman in Adam Larsson, though they had to trade Taylor Hall to get him.