Oilers add 2 veteran players on PTOs.

The Edmonton Oilers have added a pair of veteran players on Monday.

According to an announcement made via the team's official website, both veteran defenseman Jason Demers and veteran forward Jake Virtanen have agreed to sign a professional tryout agreement (PTO).

Demers spent last season playing in the Kontinental Hockey League for Kazan Ak-Bars, but only appeared in 5 games in which he had no goals and 1 assist. His last stint in the NHL was during the 2020 - 2021 regular season where he appeared in 41 games for the Arizona Coyotes, scoring no goals but picking up 4 assists.

Virtanen also spent last season in the Kontinental Hockey League, in his case playing for Moscow Spartak, appearing in 36 games and scoring 9 goals and 7 assists for a total of 16 points. Virtanen was last seen in the NHL as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, appearing in 38 games for that team during the 2020 - 2021 regular season, but was cut from the team when he was embroiled in a sexual assault scandal.

Virtanen was found not guilty in criminal court back in July, but civil litigation is still pending.

As always it is important to remember that a PTO is not an NHL contract. It is possible that both of these players could receive an NHL offer from the Oilers before the end of training camp, but it is equally possible that they do not.