Raffi Torres Inks Two-Year Contract

[Thrillhouse]

The Edmonton Oilers have signed left wing Raffi Torres to a two-year contract.

Torres (6’0”, 216 pounds) will be playing his second season with the Oilers in 2005-06. The 23-year-old native of Toronto, Ontario played 80 games for the Oilers in 2003-04, establishing single-season career-highs for games, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes with 20-14-34 and 65 PIM. His 20 goals marked the first 20-goal season of his career and tied him for second on the Oilers goal-scoring list with Ethan Moreau.

In 2004-05, Torres scored 21-25-46 in 67 games with the American Hockey League’s Edmonton Road Runners, tying for the team scoring lead with Tony Salmelainen. His 21 goals were second for the Oilers’ minor league affiliate and he was also second on the Road Runners in assists and PPG (8), while finishing third in PIM (165) and shots on goal (173).

On November 24, 2004 Torres became the first Road Runner to register a hat trick when he scored a team record four goals in a 7-3 win over the Milwaukee Admirals. Three of the four goals came in the third period, establishing a franchise record for most goals in a period.

Torres, who came to the Oilers in March of 2003 following a three-player trade with the New York Islanders, has scored 20-20-40 with 81 PIM in 111 career NHL games. He made his NHL debut with the Islanders in November 2001.

[OilersHockey]

Raffi's gonna break out this year! He had 20 goals two years ago in his "real" rookie season, and played extremely well in the AHL last year (including I think 165 PIMS?)

It's gonna be a break out year for him... You might even see the mits come off a few times. Torres is not a heavyweight by any stretch of the imagination, but he's a big guy and can go when he wants.