Dach Signs Reasonable Extension With Oilers

Some contracts are about rewarding production. Others are about preserving opportunity.

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The Edmonton Oilers didn't need Colton Dach to score 25 goals before deciding he was worth keeping around, because they saw enough over the second half of last season to believe there was more coming. That is ultimately what this two-year extension represents. It isn't payment for what he's already accomplished so much as an investment in what Edmonton believes he'll become.

There isn't much risk attached to that thinking.

At $1.2 million per season, Dach doesn't have to transform into a top-six winger for this contract to work out. If he settles into being a dependable third-line player who forechecks relentlessly, finishes checks, wins pucks back and chips in enough offence to keep teams honest, the Oilers will have found value in a part of the lineup that has become increasingly difficult to build.

Oilers Sign Colton Dach To a 2-Year ExtensionThe towering winger brings 219 hits and a physical edge back to Edmonton’s bottom six after securing a new deal to bolster the team's grit and depth.

Connor McDavid's extension, Evan Bouchard's new deal and the reality of trying to keep a winning roster together mean Edmonton can't afford to shop for every other player this summer. The players surrounding the stars have to come from somewhere, and ideally they're developed internally or acquired before their price climbs beyond what a contender can comfortably pay.

Dach falls neatly into that category.

When the Oilers acquired him from Chicago at the deadline, he had spent enough time in the NHL to show he belonged, but not enough to establish exactly what kind of player he would become. By the end of the season, there was at least a clearer picture.

He played with an edge that Edmonton had been searching for, one that didn't disappear once the puck arrived on his stick, and he looked comfortable enough to suggest a smooth transition into an important player next season. His offence has room to grow, which is probably how it should be viewed at this point, because the foundation of his game has never been built around scoring.

The Personal Connection That Could Bring This Winger to EdmontonWith the Canucks weighing a trade, Jake DeBrusk’s family ties and elite net-front scoring could bolster Edmonton’s power play for a sustained championship run.

Those players become increasingly valuable in the spring, when games tighten, and it's no coincidence the Oilers have spent much of this offseason adding players who fit that description. Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy both bring a similar willingness to engage physically, even if they each go about it differently.

Dach belongs in that conversation.

He's also only 23 years old, which shouldn't be overlooked just because he already looks so physically mature. For power forwards, development isn't always linear, and it rarely arrives early. Many don't discover the balance between aggression and offensive confidence until they've spent several years figuring out what works in the NHL.

The Oilers have given Dach that runway.

Two years is enough time to discover whether there's another level to his game without forcing the organization into a commitment it may eventually regret, and it's enough security for the player to focus on establishing himself instead of playing every shift wondering whether another contract is waiting around the corner.

Oilers Fans Gain New Appreciation For McDavids ContractWhen Connor McDavid signed his extension in September, the expectation around the league was that he would become the NHL's first $19-million player, or at least come close enough that the distinction wouldn't matter. Nobody would've argued he hadn't earned it. He's the best player in the world, the face of the sport and the biggest reason the Edmonton Oilers have spent the better part of a decade chasing the Stanley Cup.

If Dach becomes a fixture in Edmonton's middle six, this contract will look inexpensive.

If he remains largely the player he is today, it still won't hurt them.

Those are usually the contracts successful organizations are trying to sign, the ones that don't demand perfection to succeed and don't require anyone to win the negotiation by a landslide. They simply make sense the day they're signed, and if the player keeps moving forward, they tend to look even better with time.

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