Magnusificent!

Life is not fair. Moms and Dads want all of their kids to succeed, but the cold hard facts are that some are Michael, some are Sonny and some are Fredo. It looks like the Oilers have two Michael’s, but what will become of Magnus?

Paajarvi doesn’t have Sonny’s hair-trigger temper but he is fast and has a bit of the peacock to his game. In fact, the lack of confidence was the reason for his being sent down to OKC, but he’s looking good now after a big afternoon for the Barons. MP is 7, 1-6-7 +3 after a 1-2-3 afternoon, and he’s also scored a beauty shootout goal that is available on youtube. What’s more, he’s shooting–a lot, 17 shots in 7 games–and has had at least one SOG in every AHL game he’s played in.

Magnus is indeed the middle draft pick, as Fredo was also the middle Corleone child. However, Paajarvi cheats for defense and Fredo cheated Moe Greene by doing things with "cocktail waitresses two at a time" and players couldn’t get a drink at the table. Paajarvi is the opposite of this: eager to please, mature, focused and delivering on what he said he’d do in OKC. No sir, not Fredo.

No, I don’t think we’re dealing with another Michael. Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle have transitioned from junior to the NHL in quick order, in fact any list of the finest young players in the game (age 19-21) would include the duo. Paajarvi’s progress is not at that level, despite a solid rookie season that saw him score 15 goals for the Oilers.

If not them, then who? Is the Godfather going to let us down? No.

Yes, dear reader. It’s Tom, the voice of reason and the man who had to deal with some tough things before being adopted into the Corleone family. The parallels are endless:

Clearly, Magnus is Tom. Well, I feel better. I wonder if he’s worked with horses?

 

It is unlikely we’re going to see Paajarvi in Edmonton for awhile. Despite team struggles at the big league level, Teemu Hartikainen is a bigger body and there’s probably a sense the club would like to see MP have more success before getting recalled. Either way, the recent offensive push by young Paajarvi bodes well for his future. Like Tom Hagen, Magnus Paajarvi is overcoming some things on his way to a productive career.

 

Those of us with long memories (her name is Simonetta Stefanelli, she was Appolonia in the first Godfather movie. Italian, stunning) the list of Oiler prospects who disappointed after being sent down to the AHL is long and frustrating. Paajarvi’s first 7 AHL games show he’s working hard and getting results, and his coach is saying nice things about him too. The measure of a man isn’t what happens to him, it’s what he does after it happens.

Magnus Paajarvi is finding a way to make himself useful, just like Tom Hagen.