Edmonton Oilers: Mark Letestu Looks a Lot Better to Start 2016-17
After locking up Andrej Sekera for six years in the 2015 offseason, the Edmonton Oilers decided to also take Mark Letestu for more centre depth. However, he wasn’t the exact answer they were looking for.
Because of injuries to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid, Letestu had to step up as the third-line and second-line centre. It appeared that he couldn’t exactly match-up with the high stakes role, and in the end, he proved to struggle. Despite putting up 10 goals and 25 points last season, Letestu was a minus-1 and posted a -5.6 relative Corsi. Not to mention, Letestu appeared to worsen his teammates’ performance.
oilers
Oil On Whyte 22hEdmonton Oilers: Four Takeaways From Heritage Classic Win
More headlines around FanSided:
1 d - Edmonton Oilers Look to Dominate in Heritage Classic3d - Edmonton Oilers: Kris Russell Gamble Having Early Payoff3d - Edmonton Oilers Make Statement in Win Over Blues4d - Edmonton Oilers Place Mark Fayne on IR, Recall Ben Betker5d - Edmonton Oilers: Adam Larsson Making His ImpactMore News at Oil On Whyte
This year, Letestu is taking steps to improve and is trying to put the past behind him. So far, he’s doing a decent job. Riding a three-game point streak, Letestu looks a lot better to start the 2016-17 campaign.
First off, Letestu is thriving because he is in the right position. The Oilers were playing him in places where he couldn’t fit in, and too much pressure was placed on his shoulders. However, now, the Oilers have depth down the middle, and he can stand out best on the fourth line, with less to worry about.
Not to mention, he is doing great on the penalty kill. Letestu scored a short-handed goal in Sunday’s Heritage Classic win, and both of his strikes this season have been shorties. He is also a force to be reckoned with on the PK and plays a strong two-way game.
Though his possession statistics have been nothing to scream about, he is an even-0 when it comes to plus-minus and looks a lot stronger. He has yet to give away the puck and has two helpers this season.
If Letestu can keep up the strong performance, he will be a key part of the Oilers’ bottom-six. The Oilers are pushing to play a better all-around game, and Letestu is growing into his role. Though he will have to improve when it comes to puck possession, Letestu looks a lot better.
More from Oil On Whyte
This article originally appeared on 
