Recent Norris Trophy winner could be a fit for Edmonton Oilers on tryout deal

PUBLICATION

Liam McCormick
September 5, 2024 (12:15)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Edmonton Oilers are already the oldest team in the NHL, but they could get add a former rival on a bargain contract. Mark Giordano is still seeking a tryout deal.

He's obviously up there in age at 40 years old, but Giordano won the Norris Trophy in 2019 with the Calgary Flames. Since then he's played quality hockey with the Seattle Kraken and Toronto Maple Leafs, and yet teams are still reluctant to give him a chance. NHL insiders have connected the Edmonton Oilers to a number of defenceman for tryout contracts, but perhaps they should consider adding a real veteran in Giordano.

To make the case that a team should've signed him already, Giordano's agent Rich Winters recently joined The Jason Gregor Show. Winters argued that Giordano is in the best shape of his career, and can still be as effective as a top four defenceman this season.

Giordano has a great story of perseverance from being an undrafted player to one of the best defenceman in the NHL. Even at 40 years old, he can be a solid two-way player and bring even more leadership to the locker room. In 1148 career games, Giordano's scored a respectable 577 points and has a great plus minus rating of +129. Giordano has actually said that he feels so good that he intends to play a few more years.

The Oilers have been considering players like Justin Schultz and Travis Dermott for tryout contracts, but there's a solid case to be made that Giordano could be the best addition. Out of any other candidate, Giordano's history of defensive ability would earn him the most amount of trust from a coach in important minutes.

He was once a bitter rival of the team for over a decade, it'd be incredible to see him join the team for a Stanley Cup Run. The Oilers will likely sign a defenceman in the next couple weeks, and we'll be waiting to see who they select.