After issuing several contracts to minor league talent yesterday, the Edmonton Oilers have locked up another big part of their Bakersfield Condors roster. Seth Griffith has signed a two-year, two-way contract extension, that will keep him in the organization through the 2023-24 season. As reported by PuckPedia late last night, the financial terms are as follows:
2022-23: $750,000 NHL salary, $450,000 AHL salary
2023-24: $775,000 NHL salary, $450,000 AHL salary
Griffith, 29, has been a top minor league contributor for years, and is having a career year this season for Bakersfield. In 40 games he has scored 20 goals and 52 points, good enough for fourth (tied) in league scoring. He still hasn’t made an impact at the NHL level–playing in just a single game this season–but Griffith is a huge part of the success that the Condors have experienced and will now represent a potential minor league All-Star addition for two more years.
While this won’t help the Oilers directly, there has been a big push to make sure that the minor league affiliates are successful enough to help prospects develop in a winning environment. The Condors were the best team in the AHL’s shortened 2020-21 season and are having another strong campaign, going 22-13-9 so far, good enough for third place in the Pacific Division by points percentage.
Griffith joins Dmitri Samorukov, James Hamblin, and Vincent Desharnais as players who have signed recent contracts with the team, while Alex Stalock was also sent out of town last night. It’s been a busy stretch for Oilers GM Ken Holland and AGM Keith Gretzky, who also serves as the GM of the Condors.
Plan the parade.
That’s a name I haven’t heard in many many years good on him