To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Edmonton Oilers have put Steve MacIntyre on waivers.
MacIntyre, who bounced around the minors for years (as recently as 2006-07 he was playing for the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League) was claimed off waivers by the Oilers at the start of the 2008-09 season. Florida had signed him to provide a physical presence for their AHL team, but with so many small players on the roster the Oilers felt the need to add a so-called ‘nuclear deterrent’ to their team. MacIntyre got into 22 games (Craig MacTavish used him sparingly, and injury was a factor) but spent the entire season earning a big league paycheck and seemed to be genuinely well-liked by fans.
Unfortunately for MacIntyre, when the Oilers axed MacTavish and brought in Pat Quinn, they effectively ended his time with the team. In an interview with CBC’s The Hour this summer, Quinn was asked how he felt about sending a guy out to beat someone up. His answer:
I’ve never liked that. I’ve always said, in my mind, I’ll keep you on the bench if you learn how to play – I won’t keep you on the bench – but you’ll be a part of my team if you can learn how to play.
He’s stuck true to that, and with all due respect to MacIntyre (who has worked his way up the hockey food chain in the most difficult possible way), he doesn’t have the necessary ability to play a regular shift, and as a result Quinn has refused to use him. Bruce McCurdy detailed the extent of that a few days ago:
On four occasions that Pat Quinn has had no choice but to dress every healthy body on the roster, MacIntyre has played 2:44, 0:51, 1:19, and 1:24. Twelve shifts in all, for 6:18 of total ice time.
Bottom line: MacIntyre wasn’t being used, and with the team battling injuries and the flu, it made no sense to keep him on the roster. Also, possibly of interest to the Oilers – Buffalo’s Adam Mair is on waivers. Mair played briefly for Quinn in Toronto before being dealt to Los Angeles, but he’s come a long ways as a player since then. Might the Oilers be interested?