Oilers sign Benoit Pouliot to 5-year, $20 million contract

The Edmonton Oilers have come to terms on a five-year contract with unrestricted free agent forward Benoit Pouliot, the club announced Tuesday.

Pouliot has bounced around the league, signing five consecutive one-year contracts following the expiry of his entry-level deal in the summer of 2009. Though he's never caught on long-term with a club, excellent third-lines have followed Pouliot around at all of his many NHL stops.

It was clear that some club was going to sign Pouliot to a deal with term after his stellar performance on the New York Rangers' run to the Stanley Cup Final. 

A top notch play-driving forward with a penchant for unforced mental errors (and offensive zone penalties in particular), Pouliot is an excellent depth forward and brings precisely the sort of useful size that the Oilers have needed for years. The term and money on Pouliot's new contract is a bit rich, but there's no doubt that the 27-year-old is a useful contributor in a top-nine role.