The Oilers’ decision to sign Virtanen to PTO deserves criticism

No contract has been signed between the Oilers and Jake Virtanen, and GM Ken Holland insists none are prepared in a drawer just yet. Every NHL right wing deal has to be earned on the ice.

But even with Virtanen’s invitation to the training camp with a trial offer, Holland seems insensitive – to say the least. He unnecessarily stretches his neck for a person who was only the accused of a sexual assault charge and for a player who has shown little on his head.

It is important to note that Virtanen was found not guilty in a British Columbia Supreme Court in July. However, a pending civil lawsuit in West Kelowna means this matter is not fully resolved.

This last aspect will be a consideration for Holland when evaluating Virtanen in practice and exhibition matches.

“I have to sort out the moral issue in my own head over the next two weeks,” he said.

That should now be clear. In a way it already has.

Finally, Holland gives Virtanen a chance – and calls the verdict a legitimate reason.

“He went through the court system to decide something that the courts and jury can decide,” Holland said. “The jury has ruled that he is not guilty.”

Holland said he met Virtanen twice over the summer. He spends his free time in Vernon, BC while Virtanen was living in nearby Kelowna this off-season. Many questions were asked and the answers were at least reassuring.

“That was one side of the story,” Holland said. “The people who got both sides were the jury.

“We are in trouble when the legal system is bad. We have to have faith in the legal system.”

Holland is known for giving people a second chance. That was part of his reasoning for signing Evander Kane in January — although it was a charitable way of looking at Kane’s number of options.

That’s classy from the Hall of Fame manager. In this case, however, it seems misguided on many fronts.

First of all, Virtanen’s civil case is ongoing. And that’s in the spotlight of Hockey Canada’s sexual assault allegations, which dominated the newscasts for weeks.

It was unsettling for some (including this author) to bring in Kane, a player with a list of indiscretions, court appearances and suspensions – the latest of which was the fabrication of a fake vaccination card amid a pandemic.

But at least this move was for a real player, offering Holland a chance to hit the jackpot, which happened when Kane scored at will and helped revive the Oilers’ season.

Evander Kane, Jake Virtanen not. Virtanen, drafted sixth in 2014, had 55 goals and 100 points in 317 NHL games before spending his final season in the KHL. There’s little chance he’ll have even a fraction of that impact in Edmonton or anywhere else.

At this point, it makes no sense whatsoever, shape or form, to give Virtanen a chance to create an NHL roster — particularly one that considers itself a Stanley Cup contender.

Sure, the Oilers are skinny on the right wing. Zach Hyman will almost certainly be transferred from the left flank, where he played most of last season. Hyman plans to work with Kailer Yamamoto, Jesse Puljujarvi and Derek Ryan. And that with Puljujarvi’s name, which has been circling the rumor mill as a commercial candidate for years. Virtanen could fill a gap there.

The thing is, his track record in Vancouver suggests there’s little hope of sustained success as a top-six winger. He is also not considered a checker and does not kill penalties.

So where does he fit into this lineup?

“I don’t know,” Holland said. “There was a time in his life when he had a lot of potential. He’s 26. He’s been through a lot of adversity.”

Players don’t often reinvent themselves at 26. Holland pointed to Dan Cleary, a high draft pick like Virtanen, who was that age when Holland signed him after years of limited success in Detroit. Cleary became a checker for the Red Wings and spent the last 10 seasons of his career with them.

Maybe that’s what Virtanen can become. The likelihood of that happening seems slim.

Still, it would have made more sense to offer an invitation to camp to someone who has proven themselves in that role. (The Oilers reportedly discussed the possibility of bringing Brett Ritchie to camp. However, Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reported Monday that Ritchie is inking a one-year deal with the Flames.)

“There’s nothing to lose with a PTO,” Holland said. “He has to earn a contract.”

In that case, there’s a chance that Puljujarvi will be dealt and Virtanen will end up taking the place of the Finnish winger in the team to make room for the cap.

Holland wavered when asked about it. He said his goal is to maximize a group led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for this season.

“I’m trying to put the best team on the ice,” he said. “I hope we have really tough decisions as we enter our roster.”

Unless Virtanen suddenly and unexpectedly becomes the power forward that people envisioned during his draft year – which was eight years ago – it’s fraught with pitfalls and bad taste to consider him part of the mix in any way.

Virtanen spoke to the Oilers Monday after an informal skate. He said he was glad he went through the court process but added it was stressful for him and his family.

Virtanen said he spent a lot of time reflecting and analyzing his self-worth but said little when asked what he had learned.

He knows he has to start in the last six and work to prove himself after a season in Russia, which he has agreed to do. He said he has placed a greater emphasis on off-ice conditioning, which has been a problem in the past.

He concentrates on turning the page.

“My trial is over. i wanted to come back I loved playing in the NHL. I just wanted to do it again,” Virtanen said. “I have that opportunity now.”

It’s hard to understand how Virtanen gets this opportunity given what’s happening in hockey right now.

Virtanen has a long way to go before he dons an Oilers sweater in a regular season game. He could break out and be released in a week. That PTO might just be a footnote to the season.

But even a tryout is a reckless decision at best and an off-putting decision by Holland at worst. And all for someone who so rarely moved the needle even slightly.

(Photo: Bob Frid / USA Today)