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Edmonton’s Peckham joins ECHL San Francisco: “I want to make sure I’m ready to go”

Theo Peckham

Anticipating the NHL season could start soon, Oilers defenseman Theo Peckham has signed with the ECHL’s San Francisco Bulls.

“I might be losing money down there having to pay my insurance, but I want to make sure [to get some playing time] if the NHL starts up,” Peckham told the Edmonton Journal. “This is a huge year for me, and I want to make sure I’m ready to go when [the NHL] starts again.”

The 24-year-old rearguard has much to prove after signing a one-year, $1.075 million extension with the Oilers in July.

He’s coming off an injury-filled season that saw him appear in just 54 games -- Peckham was plagued by concussion issues throughout the second half of the season, playing in just nine contests after the All-Star break.

It was an unfortunate turn after posting career numbers in 2010-11, when he appeared in a career-high 71 games and recorded 3G-10A-13PTS, decent offensive production from a guy that fought 10 times and racked up nearly 200 penalty minutes.

With San Fran, Peckham joins a shortlist of NHLers plying their trade in the East Coast league.

Brandon Dubinsky and Nate Thompson are with Alaska while Minnesota’s Devin Setoguchi skates for Ontario, as does veteran blueliner Paul Mara.

Peckham sounded excited about the opportunity to get in some game action -- and shake off some rust.

“It’ll give me time to work on a different side of my game,” he said. “Like moving the puck a lot faster. I’m still trying to find it.”