Edmonton Oilers win early free agency inking Andrew Ference

There were bigger names on the block when NHL free agency opened at noon Friday, sure, but if you’re looking for the best fit, there was none better than Andrew Ference signing with the Edmonton Oilers.

The 33-year-old rugged veteran brings experience to a young dressing room and a nastiness on the blue line that the Oilers desperately need. Plus, Ference is an Edmonton native and now returns home after winning one Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins. The Oilers are easily one of the most talented young teams in the league, but desperately needed more character. That’s something Edmonton general manager Craig MacTavish knows a lot about and that’s why he handed Ference $13 million over four years. Ference scored four goals and added nine assists in the regular season and played more than 24 minutes per game in Boston’s run to the Cup Finals.

“Definitely, Edmonton jumped off the page,” Ference told TSN. “They have a situation where they have a ton of talent, a lot of young talent, a team that needs just a little nudge to get over that hump. It’s going to be a pretty neat time. I’ve seen that before. I’ve been fortunate enough to play in cities that care about and love hockey and I wanted to keep doing that.”

MacTavish wasn’t done there, either. He made the tough decision to send captain Shawn Horcoff to the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenceman Philip Larsen and a 2016 seventh-round pick. Horcoff has two years left on a deal that counted $5.5 million against the salary cap and pays him a total of $7 million. Horcoff was an excellent captain for the Oilers, but it’s time to shift some of the leadership roles over to the team’s young nucleus.

MacTavish also signed backup goaltender Jason LaBarbera and depth forward Boyd Gordon. LaBarbera is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound veteran who knows the Western Conference well and should be able to spell Devan Dubnyk for 15-20 games. Last season LaBarbera went 4-6-2 with the Phoenix Coyotes, posting a 2.64 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

Right now, big names like Jarome Iginla, David Clarkson, and Jaromir Jagr are still on the market, but the Oilers don’t need any part of players like that. They’ve already made their splash with role players this team desperately needed. Edmonton is listed at +2800 to win next season’s Stanley Cup.