BLOG: Upshall eager to join Oilers squad with 'chip on their shoulder'

EDMONTON, AB - Scottie Upshall has his reasons for why he decided to
sign a professional tryout contract
with the Oilers on Sunday.
It's not only because the Fort McMurray, AB, native would get to suit up for his childhood team alongside his good friend and former St. Louis Blues teammate Kyle Brodziak, but also because he feels the 2018-19 edition of the Oilers will enter the season set to prove people wrong.
After falling one game short of reaching the 2017 Western Conference Finals, the club regressed in '17-18, going 36-40-6 a year after a 103-point campaign.
Upshall appeared on 630 CHED's Oilers Now on Monday, speaking with guest host Brenden Ullrich. The 34-year-old divulged the factors that came into play when signing the PTO with Edmonton.
"Two things for me: any time you go to a team with the best player in the world who is hungry to get back and get his team rocking and rolling, that's an opportunity that doesn't come around every day," Upshall
said
, referring to Oilers Captain Connor McDavid. "For me, I'm at the point of my career where I have not won and have been to the Conference Finals twice. You get close and that feeling is something you have a hunger for.
"And to know that group of guys in that dressing room have a chip on their shoulder this year to prove people wrong and prove they can be a contender again, that's what excites me."
In 759 career National Hockey League games, Upshall has 138 goals and 285 points. Last season, the forward notched seven goals and 19 points in 63 games.
"The opportunity that lies ahead for this group moving forward and wanting to have a good start to the season, I'm sure everyone worked extremely hard this year to get back at it, that was a big deciding factor on why I thought this opportunity was a great one," said Upshall.