Jordan Oesterle returns home with Two-Year deal in Detroit

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings today agreed to terms with defenseman Jordan Oesterle on a two-year contract.

Oesterle, 29, appeared in 43 games for the Arizona Coyotes during the 2020-21 campaign, posting 11 points (1-10-11) and 10 penalty minutes. The 6-foot, 182-pound defenseman also registered 38 shots on goal, 45 hits and 64 blocked shots in 17:54 average time on ice, which ranked fourth among Arizona defensemen. Oesterle played parts of seven NHL seasons between the Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks and Coyotes, totaling 65 points (15-50-65) and 44 penalty minutes in 252 games since 2014-15. He is two years removed from his most productive NHL campaign, in which he posted 20 points (6-14-20) in 71 games with Arizona in 2018-19. He also added four points (1-3-4) in nine games during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Coyotes.

A native of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Oesterle was originally signed by the Oilers as an undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan University, where he was a teammate of Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser from 2011-13 and won a CCHA Championship in 2012. In three seasons with the Broncos, Oesterle logged 34 points (7-27-34), a plus-11 rating and 49 penalty minutes in 113 games. He began his professional career by playing parts of four seasons in the American Hockey League, registering 83 points (20-63-83) and 30 penalty minutes in 157 games with the Oklahoma City Barons and Bakersfield Condors from 2013-17. Oesterle represented his country at the 2018 IIHF World Championship, skating in one game as the United States captured a bronze medal with Jeff Blashill as the team's head coach. Oesterle previously spent one season with the Sioux Falls Stampede (2010-11) in the United States Hockey League, recording 15 points (2-13-15) and previously played for Belle Tire AAA Hockey until 2009-10.