Edmonton Oilers sign Jason Demers, place him on waivers for purpose of loan to Bakersfield

The Edmonton Oilers have signed veteran defenceman Jason Demers to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 in the NHL.

The Oilers then placed Demers on waivers for the purpose of being loaned to the Bakersfield Condors. He played 24 games in the AHL this year for Bakersfield, scoring nine assists and a -4 rating.

Jason Demers last played in the NHL in the 2020-21 season for the Arizona Coyotes. He played five games in the KHL the following year before coming back to North America this season.

Originally a seventh-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in the 2008 NHL Draft, Demers made his NHL debut in the 2009-10 season for the Sharks. He immediately solidified his role as a solid all-around NHL defenceman and remained in that role for the next decade.

In November 2014, Demers was traded from San Jose to the Dallas Stars along with a third-round pick for Brendan Dillon. He ended up playing two seasons in Dallas before signing with the Florida Panthers.

After a season in the Sunshine State, Demers found a home in Arizona, playing 195 games for the Coyotes over four seasons. During his time in Arizona, he took on a leadership role and ended up with eight goals and 43 points.

Prior to the 2022-23 season, Demers signed a Professional Tryout Contract with the Edmonton Oilers, ultimately being released by the team. He then signed an AHL contract with Bakersfield.

He is expected to play the remainder of the season in Bakersfield and could be called up to Edmonton if they need a depth defenceman.

In his 12-year career played in four different NHL cities, Jason Demers has 699 games played, 45 goals, and 214 points as an effective two-way defenceman.

If Demers gets called up to Edmonton at any point this season it will mark the 700th game of his NHL career.