Alex Formenton breaks silence after signing with Oilers

Alex Formenton finally addressed the cameras on Wednesday, speaking publicly for the first time since agreeing to a one year, $850,000 contract with the Edmonton Oilers.

It marked his first extended comments to reporters since the deal came together, and Oilers fans got their first real look at how he is approaching this next chapter.

The 26 year old has not played an NHL game since the 2021-22 season with Ottawa, spending the years since bouncing between Switzerland and time away from the sport entirely.

Wednesday gave him a platform to speak on his own terms about what led him back to the league and why Edmonton felt like the right landing spot.

Formenton had stayed almost entirely out of the public eye through his time overseas and the long stretch that followed his college and junior career in Ontario.

Outside of the occasional report from Switzerland, there had been little in the way of direct comment from him about a possible NHL return.

That made Wednesday's session a notable moment, giving both the organization and its fan base their first direct read on where his head is at heading into training camp.

For a roster that has leaned on speed and penalty killing depth in recent years, hearing from a player with his skill set carries extra weight.

Training camp will be the real test.

Formenton is fighting for a bottom six role on a deep Oilers roster, and his familiarity with associate coach D.J. Smith from their years together in Ottawa could work in his favor.

How he performs in the coming weeks will decide whether Wednesday's comments end up being the start of a genuine second act in the NHL.

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