Edmonton Oilers sign veteran forward Kyle Turris to 2-year contract
31-year-old played past 3 seasons with Nashville
The Edmonton Oilers have signed veteran centre Kyle Turris to a two-year deal with an average annual value of $1.65 million US.
The 31-year-old from New Westminster, B.C., played the past three seasons with Nashville and had four years remaining on his contract before being bought out by the Predators last week.
Turris had four years remaining on his deal with the Predators before being bought out earlier this week.
Nashville acquired Turris in 2017 from the Ottawa Senators in a three-team trade that included the Colorado Avalanche and saw Matt Duchene head to the Senators in the deal.
He's expected to be a third-line centre behind captain Connor McDavid and Hart Trophy winner Leon Draisaitl.
"A great team moving in the right direction with two of the best players in the world," Turris said Friday on a conference call.
"I really feel the opportunity to win here is coming."
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Edmonton ranked second in the Pacific Division at 37-25-9 when the NHL suspended the season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Oilers didn't make it out of the post-season's qualifying round, falling in four games to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Turris had nine goals and 22 assists in 62 games for the Predators last season.
Nashville put Turris on waivers Wednesday and bought out the remaining four years on his contract at a price tag of $24 million.
"I'm thankful for the opportunity they gave me, but you know just for whatever reason it didn't workout," Turris said.
"It's frustrating that it didn't work out, but at the same time I'm just really excited for this new opportunity."
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The six-foot-one, 190-pound centre has compiled 165 goals and 251 assists in 726 career games with Nashville, Ottawa and Phoenix.
Turris was the third overall pick in the 2007 draft by the Coyotes.
He was coached in Phoenix (now Arizona) by current Oilers head coach Dave Tippett during the 2010-11 season.
The Oilers also signed goaltender Anton Forsberg and forwards Alan Quine and Tyler Ennis to one-year contracts and inked forward Seth Griffith to a two-year, two-way deal.
Ennis totalled 16 goals and 21 assists in 70 games with the Ottawa Senators and Oilers last season.
He had two goals and two assists in nine games for Edmonton after he was acquired at the trade deadline.
Forsberg played three games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season and 27 in the American Hockey League.
Quine had one goal in nine games with the Calgary Flames last season, while also playing 38 games in the AHL.
With files from CBC Sports
