Heading into the upcoming off-season, the
names of those players who seem unlikely to return to the Edmonton Oilers in
2013-14 seem fairly obvious. That list would most certainly include Eric
Belanger, Ben Eager, Darcy Hordichuk, Ryan Jones, Nikolai Khabibulin, Jerrad
Smithson, Andy Sutton, Ryan Whitney and possibly all three of Mark Fistric,
Theo Peckham and Lennart Petrell.
That is a whole lot of turnover and doesn’t
even take into consideration the likelihood of at least one of Sam Gagner or
Ales Hemsky being sent packing in some sort of deal. Looking at that list, there is one
obvious name missing…Ryan Smyth.
No one could ever question the heart and
the want to win that burns inside #94 but at some point, you have to turn the
page. Unfortunately for Smyth, he brings
next to nothing on a nightly basis and looks as though he is skating around the
rink with twenty-five pound cement blocks tied to his skates.
Outside of Gagner and Hemsky, the names
listed above can very easily be taken care of. Compliance buyouts will take
care of two of those players, see Belanger and Eager, and simply standing pat
and allowing the others to walk away, will take care of the rest. The same
can’t be said when it comes to the man the Oilers selected with the sixth
overall pick back in 1994.
After handing the veteran winger a two year
extension for reasons known only to those within the organization, General
Manager Craig MacTavish has a potential PR nightmare on his hands. Smyth has
had himself a very nice NHL career but should never be confused with a great
player. However, in good ol’ Oil Country, he is far from the run-of-the-mill
player and one of the most popular players in team history.
When you think of the post dynasty-era
Edmonton Oilers, you think of one player.
With a year remaining on his two year $2.25
million deal and the NHL salary cap taking a major nose-dive come 2013-14, I
honestly cannot think of a single team that would be interested in acquiring
the thirty-seven year old.
After just a ridiculous start to the
2011-12 campaign, Smyth has scored just six goals and chipped in eighteen
assists over his last eighty-four games. This coming from a player who still
averages over fifteen minutes a night.
As much as some go on about how bad the
regular cast of fourth line characters have been this season, few have jumped
on Smyth, who has arguably done no better than a guy like Petrell…despite
having far more opportunity. That’s not to suggest the Finnish winger should
receive more ice time but rather to point out how much of a non-factor Captain
Canada has become.
With the situation being what it is, the
organization has two options. One, they sit down the former face of their
franchise and see if he would seriously consider retiring. Offer him a job
within the organization and see if he bites. Two, they put him on waivers and if
there are no takers, he sits around as the thirteenth forward.
The other option is to send him to the
minors, should he clear waivers, but considering the manner in which Smyth
originally left town back in 2007, that will not and frankly should not happen.
The guy has bled Orange and Blue throughout his eighteen year career but at
some point, it has to be about the well-being of the organization.
If Ryan doesn't mind being a spare part for
his last kick at the can, than they should have him stick around as a thirteenth forward. Having said that, can anyone honestly see Ryan Smyth being ok with such a role? I surely can't and who could blame. He is simply not wired that way and in his defence, that's what makes him such a special player to so many fans.
Smyth still has the want and will to win burning inside him but that can only take you so far. The tank is empty and the time has come to call it a career...and what a career it has been.
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