An Unsure Future Awaits For Ryan Jones of the Edmonton Oilers

Chatham’s Ryan Jones escaped the NHL trade deadline without being traded, even after he turned down a contract extension offer from his Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers have struggled in the wins column all season, but one consistent positive, has been the play of Jones, a former Chatham-Kent Cyclones, and Chatham Maroons star.

Edmonton brass wanted to lock down Jones who has played a vital role in the Oilers lineup as a versatile forward. Throughout the season, Jones has played as little as 6:00 minutes, and up toward the 20:00 minute mark while acting as a checking forward, playing on the top two scoring lines, and dabbling on both powerplay and penalty killing units.

After scoring 13 goals with the last months of the season still to come, Jones’ decision to not sign a midseason contract extension was calculated. At the end of this season, Jones, 26, will become an unrestricted free agent, and for the first time in his career, will be seen as a hot commodity by many teams. An energy player who hits hard and plays hard, Jones fits perfectly on the third  line of most playoff teams looking to add grit and depth scoring.

Although Jones turned down a contract extension, it does not mean he’ll definitely be moving from the young Oilers roster, however, his future playing destination does seem uncertain. One thing is for sure, with 13 goals and 18 points through his first 64 games, Jones is likely looking at a raise over his current contract, which pays him $975,000 per season.

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