Jordan Oesterle

Did You Know?

• Oesterle made his international debut for the United States at the 2018 IIHF World Championship in Denmark.
• He was the United States extra defenseman at the tournament and appeared in one game, garnering one assist.
• Oesterle helped the United States claim the bronze medal at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

Playing career

Undrafted out of college, Jordan Oesterle played for the Western Michigan Broncos in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference from 2010 to 2014. He signed a two-year entry-level deal with the Edmonton Oilers on March 31, 2014. For his first professional season in 2014-15, the Oilers sent him to their AHL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons, where he put up 21 points in 49 games. He got his first NHL call-up on February 20, 2015, and made his debut the next day against the Anaheim Ducks.

After leaving Edmonton as a free agent, Oesterle inked a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 1, 2017. His start in Chicago was slow—he appeared in just four of the team’s first 29 games—before he became a more regular part of the lineup on December 10. When he first got in, he played the left side alongside Connor Murphy on the right. Later in the season, he paired with veteran Duncan Keith, a move Oesterle said boosted his confidence. On December 29, 2017, he scored his first NHL goal against former teammate Cam Talbot and the Oilers. He stayed on the Blackhawks roster for the rest of the year, settling into a third-pairing role and finishing with five goals and 10 assists in 55 games.

On July 12, 2018, the Blackhawks traded Oesterle to the Arizona Coyotes along with Marian Hossa’s contract, Vinnie Hinostroza, and a 2019 third-round pick. In return, Chicago got Marcus Kruger, Jordan Maletta, Andrew Campbell, prospect MacKenzie Entwistle, and a 2019 fifth-round pick, a move that freed up $8.5 million in cap space. During the 2018-19 season with the Coyotes, Oesterle split time between playing on the top defensive pair with Oliver Ekman-Larsson and on the third pair with Ilya Lyubushkin or Jakob Chychrun. He set career highs with six goals and 14 assists, then signed a two-year contract extension covering the 2020-21 season. By March, he was logging 19 minutes per game as Arizona chased the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.

On October 19, 2019, Oesterle went on the Coyotes’ long-term injured reserve after getting hurt in a game against the Nashville Predators. He returned to the lineup on November 9, having missed 10 games. On July 28, 2021, he signed a two-year, $2.7 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings.