Restocking the cupboard

The Edmonton Oilers were very active during this years free agency, acquiring some very young, promising and exciting prospets.

Danny Dekeyser- The Clay Township, MI native has blossomed into one of college hockey’s top rearguards. And while he is a defensive defenseman, DeKeyser is by no means the stay-at-home type. He is very mobile, plays intelligently in all three zones, and can be seen jumping into plays when opportunities present themselves. At 6’3” and 198 pounds, DeKeyser has a good frame and one attribute that has had scouts clamoring to get glimpses of him is how well he uses that frame. DeKeyser uses his size, strength and tenacity quite effectively in wearing down opposing players and taking away time and space. This is particularly evident in his excellent play along the boards. DeKeyser is an agile skater with terrific feet and great balance. He moves equally well going north-south and east-west. His skating and feet also allow him to make smooth transitions and make the right plays. One attribute that sets DeKeyser apart from many other collegiate defensemen is his ability to control the tempo of the game. He sees the ice really well and possesses great hockey sense. His decision-making has continually improved with quicker and smarter reads and reactions. DeKeyser possesses a powerful shot and can get shots to the net. He has great hands and moves the puck exceedingly well, too.

Kyle Flanagan- The St Lawrence University product signed with the flyers last season, and in his first 13 AHL games, posted a respectable 7 points.

Andrej Sustr- The Tampa Bay 6 foot 8, 230 pound product will bring alot of size tot he blue line.While his gigantic frame is certainly one attribute that NHL teams like about Sustr, what has impressed them even more is how effectively he uses it. Sustr takes full advantage of his size, strength and wingspan in moving opposing players off pucks and taking away their time and space. He has good gap control and does an excellent job in containment, as well. Sustr is also a player that doesn’t shy away from playing the body, showing that he can dish out some of the most punishing hits in college hockey. Two of Sustr’s best assets are his stick and his shot. He uses his excellent stick work exceedingly well at both ends of the ice, whether it is in creating turnovers or distributing the puck. His cannon-like shot has improved in both accuracy and velocity over the course of his collegiate career. Another area where Sustr has really developed is his skating. He’s not the prettiest skater, but he moves remarkably well for such a big man. Sustr has also shown marked improvement in his agility and balance

Brandon Davidson- A late bloomer in every sense, Davidson is a no nonsense, all around defenseman. He doesn't excel in any one area, nor does he have too many glaring weaknesses. He could stand to be better when it comes to some of the finer points of his skating, pivots in particular, and he seems to be very adept at making the first pass out of the zone, but on the whole he is the kind of calm, unremarkable player coaches love to count on.

The Oilers also signed veterans Paul Ranger and Rick Dipietro.