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Pirates sign pair of defensemen
- Updated: July 31, 2014
Evan Oberg #43 of the Tampa Bay Lightning skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on February 26, 2012 in Newark, New Jersey. The Lightning defeated the Devils 4-3. (PHOTO: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)
Oberg, 26, signed a one-way AHL contract, while Southorn’s two-way AHL deal means he could likely play for the Pirates ECHL affiliate, Gwinnett (Ga.) Gladiators.
Oberg, a native of Forestberg, Alberta, has appeared in 263 AHL games with Manitoba, Rochester, San Antonio, Norfolk, Syracuse and Chicago.
Last season, he finished with six goals, 19 assists for 25 points with a plus-22 rating with the Chicago Wolves.
He has also played a total of 34 games in the Calder Cup playoffs, scoring three goals, nine assists for 12 points. He was a member of the 2012 Calder Cup Championship team, Norfolk Admirals.
“Evan is a player who can play in all situations,” said Pirates General Manager and Head Coach Ray Edwards in a prepared statement. “He’s a quiet leader. He’s won a championship and is a guy who played in the playoffs every year. We feel he can bring quality to our team in another player with the potential to reach the next level.”
The 6-foot-1, 191-pound defenseman appeared in seven NHL games with the Vancouver Canucks and Tampa Bay Lightning and played two seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, scoring eight goals, 22 assists in 67 games.
Southorn, 24, a native of Montreal, Quebec, will begin his fifth professional season in 2014-’15, having played the majority of his career in the ECHL with Trenton, Wheeling, Elmira and Fort Wayne, scoring 32 goals, 68 assists for 100 points with a +27 rating.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defenseman has appeared in 20 ECHL playoff games over his career, recording seven points.
Southorn recorded 13 goals, 23 assists for 36 point in 56 games between the Fort Wayne Komets and Elmira Jackals.
Southorn’s time in the AHL has been brief, playing only three games with Portland and Providence. He appeared in one game with the Pirates last season while on a professional tryout contract, scoring two assists.
“Jordon has been one of the best players in the ECHL for the last two seasons,” Edwards said. “From his tryout with us last year, we could tell he had the ability to play in the AHL. He’s a big guy with a good shot who can really help our power play. Jordon will help provide us with the depth we need to be a winning team this season.”
With the addition of Oberg and Southorn, the Pirates blueline is much improved from last season’s squad that allowed a league-high 284 goals. The backend has also become a little more crowded with 11 defensemen for seven positions, which include Brandon Gormley, Connor Murphy and Chris Summers. It’s likely two of the three will remain with the Pirates’ NHL affiliate, Arizona Coyotes, leaving Portland with nine defensemen, which is why Southorn’s contract is a two-way deal, giving the Pirates some flexibility and not having several players just practicing, not playing games.
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