Oilers UFA forward joins MacTavish in KHL

We would have been happy to see Edmonton make a qualifying offer to Ty Rattie last month because the 26-year-old had potential. 

Sure, he put up just four goals in 50 games this past season with the Oilers, but he was still able to get off dangerous scoring chance shots in games.

Unfortunately, he was often sidelined with injuries and the new management crew in Edmonton chose to let him hit the free agency market last week. 

However, Rattie has decided to join former Oilers executive, signing a one-year deal with the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the KHL, per insider Igor Erenko. Craig MacTavish took on the coaching spot there and we will get to coach Rattie next season. 

MacTavish served as the Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations since April of 2015, when he was replaced as the team’s GM by Peter Chiarelli. He spent the past six seasons in a prominent front office job, four as Senior VP and two as general manager.

Rattie could have better puck luck in Russia. While some though he could be an intriguing option for teams looking for depth scoring at a relatively discounted price, Rattie is moving overseas to pursue his career.