Adam Erne clears waivers and awaits another chance with Oilers
By Paul Taylor
Adam Erne pays the price for the lack of production from the bottom-six, but will he get another opportunity this season with the Edmonton Oilers?
Most of the headlines surrounding the Edmonton Oilers these past couple of days, have understandably focused on Sam Gagner being recalled. He is being asked to help boost a bottom-six which is struggling to provide offensive production.
However, in order to complete this roster move, someone had to go in the opposite direction. The unfortunate player turned out to be Adam Erne.
Erne failed to score a single point in six games with the Oilers, although he hasn’t been alone in this respect. (We’re looking at you in particular Connor Brown.) For what it’s worth, at his current pace he would finish with a single-season career low average ice time of 8:19 minutes.
The 28-year-old was placed on waivers Tuesday afternoon and will now report to Bakersfield after — as expected — clearing the process. It is now up to him to perform well with the high-flying Condors, in order to earn another opportunity with the Oilers.
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This week’s turn of events is a tough break for Erne, who received a PTO invitation to attend training camp with the Oilers. The orgnaisation was impressed enough, to sign him to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 at the NHL level, just after the regular season started.
Now in his eighth season of NHL action, the 2013 33rd overall draft pick has proven to be a tough and hard-working depth player. He’s had his moments, and has recorded 89 points (40 goals and 49 assists) in 361 games, including 18 points (eight goals and 10 assists) in 61 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings.
It’s unclear what the coming months will bring for Erne, who will be eager for the chance to prove himself with the Oilers. However, he faces competition from the likes of Raphael Lavoie and Lane Pederson, if he is to get the recall to Edmonton.
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The New Haven, Connecticut native has previously played parts of five seasons in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch and Grand Rapids Griffins, affiliates for the Tampa Bay Lightening and Red Wings respectively. During that time he has been played well, accruing 93 points (41 goals and 52 assists) in 159 games.