OH, COME ON!
By Lowetide
10 years ago
Ryan Smyth is hurt, Taylor Hall is skating, so is Ryan Hamilton and Jesse Joensuu is a ways down the line. Today, the Oilers found out that David Perron will need an MRI (neck) and could be out for a time. Who’s left?
MOVE IT ON OVER!
- Nail Yakupov 12, 1-2-3. I know he’s out of position, but what the hell are you going to do? The young Russian is looking at an enormous opportunity here. EV, PP, hell at this point they might give him 25 minutes against Detroit.
- Ryan Jones 7, 2-0-2. Another converted RW, the veteran has gone from having a major scare last winter to getting legit minutes (and working hard) the next. Jones is extremely likely to get skill minutes.
- Ben Eager 5, 0-1-1. Eager is a veteran of 405 NHL games and the Oilers will employ him tomorrow night. The question is ‘what line’?
- Luke Gazdic 13, 1-1-2. The big man has certainly played the enforcer role, and chimed in offensively a little too. I suspect he’ll stay on the 4line as an energy player against Detroit.
OTHER OPTIONS
- Anton Lander 1, 0-0-0. Called up again and likely to play (on one of the wings) tomorrow night. THIS would be a very good time for Lander to establish himself as a solid 2-way F who can PK. Opportunity is knocking.
- Linus Omark, OKC. I’m not sure he’ll ever play for the Oilers again, but desperate times call for desperate measures. He leads the Barons in points entering tonight’s action.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
At some point, you have to laugh. The depth chart tomorrow night? I’d guess Yakupov, Jones, Lander and Gazdic (with Eager playing 4line on the other wing). Sometimes, when life deals you a bad hand, you find out more about yourself than you do when everything is coming up roses.
The Edmonton Oilers will need to dig deep this week. Can they? We’ll see.
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