Should The Oilers Sign Former Vipers Defenceman Bigos?

Here is an article in the Edmonton Journal on former Vernon Vipers defenceman Kyle Bigos. Bigos finished his fourth and final season with Merrimack College. In thirty regular season games this year Bigos collected (4-7-11). Bigos played two seasons in Vernon (2007-2009) collecting (10-40-50) in 116 regular season games with the Vipers. Bigos an assistant captain in his second and final season with the Vipers was drafted 99th overall by the NHL Edmonton Oilers in the 4th round of the 2009 NHL Draft.  Bigos attended the Oilers Developement Camp two out of the last three years. 

Kyle Bigos Player Profile:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=101195

This was in the Edmonton Journal Newspaper:

Should the Edmonton Oilers sign Kyle Bigos?

May 1, 2013

Posted by:
Jonathan Willis

The Oilers and Kyle Bigos are approaching a crossroads. The 2009 fourth round pick

At least one guy who keeps a keen eye on the Oilers’ prospect pipeline thinks they’re going to decide not to sign the player. The TEAM 1260’s Guy Flaming tweeted the following on Tuesday night:

has spent the last four seasons playing at Merrimack College, and he’s ready to make the jump to the professional ranks; the Oilers just need to decide if they want to sign him.
It’s my belief that the #Oilers will not sign [Kyle Bigos] but will invite him to main camp if not signed by someone else by then.

Asked by Copper and Blue writer Ryan Batty why he felt the Oilers were going to pass on signing Bigos, Flaming elaborated:

“hockey sense”. Personally, I’d be interested in signing a 6’4, 240lb guy with his PIMs in college where there is no fighting.

Last August we listed Bigos as the 20th-best Calder-eligible prospect in the Oilers’ organization, and his combination of size and a willingness to play a mean game were a big reason why. Summarizing a list of Bigos’ penalties compiled by Copper and Blue at that time, there were six clear obstruction-type penalties and 33 of the clearly nasty variety. Bigos is huge, and he’s a tough customer, and typically teams have a lot of time for players like that.

The Oilers, however, have other pressures to consider. The AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons are going to be bursting at the seams with defenders next year as other draft picks graduate from junior, and the 50-man contract limit is another item worth considering. Additionally, Bigos turns 24 next month; he simply doesn’t have as much room to grow as some other prospects because of his age. He’s a plug-and-play type player, and if he can’t play immediately it’s fair to wonder if he ever will.

It is not a no-brainer decision from this vantage point; it’s going to depend on how the Oilers’ college scouts rate Bigos’ abilities beyond his physical game. If Flaming is right, they have found it wanting.