Oilers’ David Tomášek scores first NHL goal against Canadiens

Playing in his seventh game with the Oilers on Thursday, Tomášek now has one goal and two assists, averaging just under 13 minutes a night. Since joining the team, he has bounced around the lineup, but is now playing a consistent bottom-six role. He’s also getting power-play time, with both his assists this season coming on the man advantage. He’ll look to capitalize on that time moving forward to convert one himself on special teams.

Tomášeksigned a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Oilers back in April. The 29-year-old winger played his whole career in Europe up to that point. Last year with Färjestad BK, the Praha, Czechia native led the Swedish Hockey League in goals with 24, finishing with 57 points total in 47 games. At the time, insider Frank Servalli reported that Oilers general manager Stan Bowman had spent time in Sweden during the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off to “get eyes on Tomášek directly,” with Tomášek later saying that was part of why he decided to sign in Edmonton. Having never been drafted into the NHL and entering above the age of 28, he didn’t need an entry-level contract.

Bringing Tomášek in was a low-risk gamble for the Oilers, and so far it’s looking to pay off as he takes on a consistent role with the team. While Ike Howard and Matt Savoie are the big-name rookies for the Oilers this season, Tomášek is one to watch for his low-cost and high-reward, even if he is just a bit older. Indeed, the Oilers hope Thursday’s first-period marker will be the first of many for the Czech skater.