If the Edmonton Oilers want Brandon Davidson back next season, they’re going to have to do better than offering him a professional tryout (PTO).
According to multiple reports, the Oilers presented Davidson with a PTO but the defenceman turned it down — at least for the time being — as he’s seeking a full-time contract instead.
Davidson has spent 114 of his 152 career NHL games in an Oilers uniform, including 23 contests this past season.
The 27-year-old was selected by the Oilers in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 2010 draft and was with the organization until late in the 2016-17 campaign when he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for David Desharnais.
The Oilers then reacquired Davidson this past December after claiming him when the Canadiens placed him on waivers. Edmonton traded him to the New York Islanders in February for a 2019 third-round pick. The Islanders did not tender him a qualifying offer, which is why he’s on the open market.
The Oilers defence was put into a bind one week ago when Andrej Sekera underwent surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon suffered during a training session. The team still has Adam Larsson, Oscar Klefbom, Kris Russell, Matthew Benning, Jakub Jerabek and Kevin Gravel under contract on the back end with restricted free agent Darnell Nurse in need of a new deal.
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