Oilers sign Foster - 07-01-10

The Oilers signed former Lightning defenseman Kurtis Foster to a two-year deal worth $1.8 million as season. In 71 games with Tampa Bay last season, Foster recorded 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists).

Foster, rebounded last season after playing only 10 games the previous campaign with the Wild. Foster took more than a year to recover from a devastating injury when he broke a femur midway through the 2007-08 season.

EN Says: We're a little confused by this signing by Edmonton. Foster is a nice player who offers quite a bit offensively. He has a nice shot and is an absolute asset on the power play.

That said, despite his size (6-foot-5, 220 pounds), he not overly physical and he can get sloppy in his own zone with the puck. Essentially, he's a slightly better version of Ryan Whitney, who the Oilers already have.

Additionally, Foster, 28, is hardly a youngster. The Oilers are clearly a re-building team. They need to get younger. Picking up a player in the middle years of his career who has suffered a pretty devastating injury just doesn't seem like the right move for them.

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