Oilers Say Thanks But No Thanks

These are curious times for the Edmonton Oilers. With Darnell Nurse not yet ready to return to the lineup, Matt Benning headed to the IR list and Kris Russell banged up, the organization was forced into making an internal move to help address their current situation. Instead of making the obvious move of recalling veteran rearguard Mark Fayne and one of Jordan Oesterle or Griffin Reinhart, the club decided to go with the two youngsters in their time of need. So what’s up?

The Oesterle - Reinhart Duo

Reading too much into what a player does or doesn’t do during the final weeks of an NHL season for a team playing out the string is, more often than not, a pointless exercise. Different guys react in different ways to taking part in meaningless games and in some cases, it can be a dangerous time for organizations. The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in that very situation when it comes to a pair of young defensemen in Jordan Oesterle and Griffin Reinhart. 

Time For Oesterle To Sink Or Swim

These are certainly interesting days in the world of the Edmonton Oilers. With the NHL Trade Deadline a week away and Todd McLellan’s crew buried in the Western Conference basement, the organization has decided to start the yearly routine of shifting  players back and forth between the big club and their AHL affiliate. While the decision to recall Nikita Nikitin prior to Saturday’s tilt with the Colorado Avalanche was nothing more than a last-ditch effort to convince teams across the league there was some gas left in the veteran rearguard’s tank, the call-up of defenceman Jordan Oesterle is the move that should interest fans across Oilers Nation.