Is It Time For A Bakersfield Condor Call Up For The Oilers?
As we are all aware the Edmonton Oilers are off to a rough start this season. They need to change something in order to find some sort of success. Is calling someone up from the Bakersfield Condors the answer?
As the Oilers continue to struggle, I wonder if a call-up from the Bakersfield Condors could be the solution to their problems. While it’s true that bringing up a player from the AHL can inject some new energy and talent into a struggling team, it’s important to consider the bigger picture.
Bakersfield Condors Call-Up?
Now, is simply calling up a player from the minors going to fix all of the issues that the Oilers are facing? There are clearly bigger problems at play here, such as defensive breakdowns, inconsistent goaltending, and a lack of depth scoring. While a new player could potentially help with one of these issues, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to completely turn things around on their own.
That being said, there’s certainly no harm in bringing up a player from Bakersfield and seeing what they can do. It will not be a cure-all for the Oilers’ struggles, but it could be a step in the right direction. At the very least, it would send a message to the team that no one’s job is safe and that everyone needs to be performing at their best if they want to keep their spot in the lineup.
There are a few players that the Edmonton Oilers could bring into the line to shake things up. Now I wouldn’t think any of the call-ups would get put into a role where they could make a big difference in the game, but even a small improvement on this team could make a big difference in the way the Edmonton Oilers are playing.
In my opinion, there are only a few players that could come up to the NHL and potentially make an improvement. It being early in the AHL season there isn’t much to go off of, but the NHL preseason wasn’t that long ago either.
Raphael Lavoie
Coming into the season there were lots of eyes on Raphael Lavoie his growth and time since being drafted put him into the wheelhouse of perhaps making this team out of camp. After the preseason though the final roster spot was given to Adam Erne so Lavoie was sent down.
Lavoie is off to a decent start this season for the Condors as he has 2 assists in two games for the AHL club. His size a shot could be an asset that could make a difference on the NHL club if he is called up.
Markus Niemelainen
Markus Niemelainen has played some games in the NHL over the past few seasons and used to be the number-one callup before the emergence of Vincent Desharnais. Niemelainen plays with a layer of grit and toughness and if put in as the 6th or 7th defenseman could turn the momentum in a game with a big hit.
Calling up Niemelainen would also put the rest of the d-men on notice that they’re not safe in their role which could cause the team’s overall defense to improve, which is much needed.
Lane Pederson
Lane Pederson was the player who I thought was going to make the NHL team out of camp prior to camp. In a similar story to Lavoie Pederson was beaten out by the play of Adam Erne. Pederson is also off to a solid start.
In the 2 games Pederson has one goal for the Bakersfield Condors. Now he would not be looked at by the Oilers to provide offense, but I think he could bring some stabilization in the bottom six.
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Another Added Wrinkle For The Edmonton Oilers
Another issue the Edmonton Oilers are faced with when it comes to roster moves is the fact they are tight to the cap and likely won’t be able to just add a player so someone will need to get sent down.
In the worst case, the Connor McDavid injury from the Winnipeg Jets game is serious and he is out for the long term. Then the Edmonton Oilers may be in the market for more than just a call-up. An LTIR McDavid solves the Edmonton Oilers cap problems though.
Next. The Oilers’ 3 major problems, and 3 analytical solutions. dark