Oilers reportedly signing free agent Jack Roslovic

Roslovic, 28, was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets 25th overall in the 2015 draft, spending the first four years of his career there before being dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Patrik Laine trade. Across his nine year career with the Jets, Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers, he’s scored 102 goals and 260 points in 526 games.

He spent last season with the Hurricanes, scoring 22 goals and 39 points in 81 games, adding a goal and four points in nine post-season games. He drove offence at a one percent rate below league average and defence at a seven percent rate below league average last year as his overall contributions had him somewhere between a third and fourth liner.

It will likely take some time for Roslovic to get up and going as he didn’t attend training camp with any team, nor play in any pre-season games. He has been skating, however, spending time in his hometown Columbus skating at a local rink, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reported last week.

Where he fits in the lineup is another question that needs to be answered. His highest average time on ice in a season came in his first season in Columbus, the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign, where he scored 12 goals and 34 points in 48 games played, but remained equally productive in less time in the follow two seasons, scoring 45 points in 81 games and 44 points in 77 games, respectively.

Based on his previous usage, he could be a fit within the Oilers’ middle-six.

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has been busy in recent weeks, signing head coach Kris Knoblauch, and players Vasily Podkolzin, Connor McDavid, Jake Walman and Mattias Ekholm.