Nathan Oystrick signs with Jackals

[Sports Enthusiast]

http://www.stargazette.com/story/sports/hockey/2015/07/09/jackals-echl-oystrick/29941909/

Really bizarre signing. He's never played in this league before. I'm Surprised he signed there. Wonder what the deal really is. I know the benefit would be minimal but I wouldn't be shocked if he got an AHL call some point in the season and never returned. I know in the past they had Craig Rivet but that was a totally different situation and he was a career NHLer who had AHL options out there but knew if he took them his NHL potential choices would be limited to that AHL teams parent club. Oystrick really has zero shot to go back to the NHL where he doesn't even have a full seasons work.

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[royals119]

He is a veteran now, and there are limited opportunities in the AHL for vets. Since the article mentions he will be a "player/coach" I assume he is looking to get into coaching and this is an opportunity for him to "learn the ropes" while still contributing as a player. They Royals have done this with a couple players. Larry Courville had a similar career before joining the Royals as a "player/coach". Tim Branham, former Royals assistant and now head coach in Utah was actually signed to a player contract and then placed in I.R. when he was Royals assistant for a couple years. He was mostly an ECHL player, with two half seasons in the AHL over six years, but that may be the route the Jackals are going here - planning to scratch/IR him unless they are shorthanded and have him handle some of the behind the scenes coaching duties and run the defense from behind the bench.