Pouliot is nursing a hip flexor injury but is considered probable for Thursday's season opener against the Flames. Despite the existing wealth of young forward talent already on the Edmonton roster, Pouliot chose to join the club on a five-year deal in the summer. He put together a high-quality preseason, contributing a goal, assist and a plus-3 rating over four games, a performance that will likely earn him a role on the second line to begin the campaign. He's expected to slot in as the elder statesman of a line that includes rookie Leon Draisaitl and 21-year-old right wing Nail Yakupov.

Benoit Pouliot sees himself as a top-nine forward and will probably end up on the Oilers' third line. Pouliot agreed to a five-year, $20 million contract with Edmonton over the summer. He played for the Rangers last season and had 10 playoff points in their run to the Stanley Cup Final. Glen Sather, who has been serving as the Rangers' general manager, was previously the Oilers GM/coach during their glory years. "Glen called, left a message and said 'good luck, you'll enjoy it.' He said it was a good place to be. Coming from Glen, that was big. He's a great man and treated me very well," Pouliot said.

The Oilers have inked former Ranger forward Benoit Pouliot to a 5-year, $20 million deal. Wow! That is a lot of money and long term for Pouliot, who is a very nice player but not a top-line talent. Pouliot had a very strong playoff for the Rangers and he might finally be coming into his own. If he gets a chance to play with Ryan-Nugent Hopkins, as is rumoured, he could be a 55-60 point player.

Benoit Pouliot, who has worked on five consecutive one-year contracts for five different teams after his initial three-year entry-level deal, will receive multiple offers for at least $9 million over three years - if not more, according to The New York Post's Larry Brooks. It is unclear whether the Rangers will wish to meet that price for the erratic but ultimately productive 6-foot-4, 205-pound winger who became an integral part of the team's run in the second half of the year and through the playoffs. "Ben was amenable to staying in New York, and in fact we tried a number of times to get something done before the end of the season, but it didn't work out, and then we put everything on hold for the playoffs," Kent Hughes, Pouliot's agent, told The Post. "Ben likes it in New York, he likes playing for [coach] Alain [Vigneault], but at this point we haven't had any extensive conversations with the Rangers." Pouliot will be 28 in September.

Benoit Pouliot appears to be getting plenty of interest. According to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, around 10 teams have shown an interest in Pouliot who can become an unrestricted free agent in less than a week. He's reportedly seeking a long-term contract.

Do not be surprised if Benoit Pouliot is not back next season with the New York Rangers. Pouliot is one of seven unrestricted free agents on the Rangers and even if New York gives Brad Richards a compliance buyout and frees up close to $6 million, there are still too many players who will deserve to return before Pouliot. That being said, Pouliot revived his career with the Rangers and should be in line for a long-term (two or more years) deal with another NHL team.

Benoit Pouliot opened the scoring in Game 4's 2-1 victory over Los Angeles. He scored his fifth goal of the playoffs on a deflection in the first period. John Moore and Derick Brassard assisted on the play. Pouliot has 10 points in 24 postseason matches.

Benoit Pouliot scored his fourth goal of the playoffs to open the scoring in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. He scored on a breakaway on a Drew Doughty turnover at the 13:21 mark of the first period. Pouliot snapped a seven-game pointless drought and he netted his first goal since May 2 in Round 2 against Pittsburgh. He has contributed nine points in 21 matches during the playoffs.

Although Benoit Pouliot has more immediate concerns, he is hoping to re-sign with the New York Rangers. Pouliot is finishing off his one-year, $1.3 million contract. He's playing for his fifth team in as many seasons and would like some stability. "I really hope I can stay here," Pouliot said. "Since the beginning when I got here, I saw the organization, how guys were treated. It was top of the line. For me, it was to find a really good spot. I've got to say, my linemates are awesome, everyone that's been around team. We've got a good group of guys, we have fun off and on the ice."

Benoit Pouliot took a maintenance day on Wednesday. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault still expects Pouliot to play in Game 3, so this is just an FYI. Pouliot has three goals and eight points in 16 games in the playoffs.