It was released this morning that the Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Alex Formenton to a one-year contract. This comes as a very controversial signing as Formenton was a member of the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial. Ever since the allegations were made, Formenton has not been playing in the NHL. The Oilers have now provided him with a second chance, but honestly, is it really worth it?
Formenton’s fall-off
At one point, Formenton was a promising young NHL forward who had great speed. The Ottawa Senators drafted him in the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft when he was playing with the London Knights. Formenton was a dominant player in Junior hockey, posting two point-per-game seasons. His play earned him a spot on the 2018 Canadian World Junior team. This ended up being the most significant moment of his career.
Once the allegations came out, like the other players, Formenton experienced a significant fall-off in hockey. After the 2021-22 season with the Senators, Formenton played three seasons with the Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland. Here, Formenton appeared in a total of 88 games and scored just 52 points. Outside of his play, there were rumours that the forward was working construction to help make a living.
Coming to Edmonton
The upsetting part about the Formenton signing is that it is not a PTO, and there were better options with less controversy. Stan Bowman could have pursued other options like Vladimir Tarasenko or Michael Bunting. Both players have proven a lot more at the NHL level and likely would have been a better asset to the team. On the other hand, Formenton is more affordable, but his hockey skills have seriously declined.
There is not even much room for Formenton in the Oilers lineup (assuming he makes the team). There would obviously be room for him in the AHL, but there is no doubt that Bowman signed him to get a shot with the big club. The last thing that the Oilers need is for Formenton to mess up team chemistry and take away opportunities from younger players. This team already has enough pressure with the Mike Babcock signing, and guys like Matt Savoie, Isaac Howard, and Josh Samanski deserve NHL ice time.
To say the least, this signing is confusing and frustrating from an initial perspective. With the season right around the corner, this was the last thing that management should have done. What do you think of the Formenton signing?
