What To Do With Mark Fayne?

It was a signing that was supposed to be a turning point of sorts for the Edmonton Oilers. After years of struggling to get their hands on legitimate veteran NHL talent to play on the backend, the club signed defenceman Mark Fayne to 4-year/$14.5 million deal on July 1, 2014. Fast forward three years and unfortunately things have not played out in the fashion either the club or player had hoped.

The NHL Waiver Wire

After ignoring repeated cries from his fan base to jump into the endless carousel that is the NHL waiver wire over the last number weeks, Edmonton Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli finally decided to give them something to talk about. In what was really nothing more than a “shot in the dark” sort of move, the Oilers claimed the well-traveled Adam Clendening from Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday morning in hopes of improving their paper-thin backend. 

2016 Edmonton Oilers Trade Bait

When the Edmonton Oilers return to action from their extended NHL All-Star break to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on February 2, we will be just 27 days away from the 2016 NHL Trade Deadline. As of this moment, the Oilers sit in the basement of the Western Conference standings and find themselves 10 points out of the playoffs. Meaning they are once again facing the harsh reality of playing nothing but meaningless hockey over the final two months of their season. 

A Curious Decision

When word broke yesterday morning that the Edmonton Oilers had decided to place defenceman Mark Fayne on waivers, it was rather difficult to not raise an eyebrow at the move. While the former New Jersey Devil has struggled mightily over the opening two months of the 2015-16 campaign, one would think he is still good enough to slot in front of a player like Eric Gryba on an NHL roster. 

The Return of Justin Schultz

While it may be hard for a fraction of the fan base to accept, the Edmonton Oilers have actually missed not having Justin Schultz in their lineup. By the sounds of it the 25-year old is on the verge of making his return to action and if healthy, he will be a welcomed addition to this team’s backend. For the first time in ages, it looks as though the Oilers could potentially have three pairings in which there is no real black hole on their blue line. 

The Emergence of Brandon Davidson

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Brandon Davidson was in a bit of a tough spot heading into training camp. In order for the 24-year old to start the year in the NHL, he needed to make enough of an impression on head coach Todd McLellan to slot him above two of Mark Fayne, Andrew Ference, Oscar Klefbom, Nikita Nikitin, Darnell Nurse, Griffin Reinhart, Justin Schultz and Andrej Sekera. To his credit, he accomplished exactly that and has not looked back since. 

Andrej Sekera and the Edmonton Oilers

It’s no secret that fans of the Edmonton Oilers have had little to cheer about since watching their team reach the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. With that said, most were hoping things would take a turn for the better under the guidance of Bob Nicholson, Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan. Unfortunately, those who were hoping for a turnaround overnight have been disappointed with the start of the 2015-16 season. 

Finding The Right Role For Mark Fayne

On a night in which the Edmonton Oilers spotted the Calgary Flames multiple two-goal leads but still found a way to get themselves back into a game they really had no business being in, Cam Talbot picked the worst possible moment to cough up an absolute stinker of a game-winner. While the Flames Michael Frolik may have been the star of the show, with as ugly a three-goal effort as anyone has witnessed in some time, it was the Oilers starting netminder who ended up with the spotlight squarely on him in what was a rather disheartening 5-4 loss. 

Sending The Wrong Message

The Edmonton Oilers are now ten games into their 2015-16 schedule and find themselves with a 3-7 record. While there were those who were expecting more from this group, they have actually started to show signs of meaningful improvement. Regrettably, it has not led to more wins and much of that can be attributed to the lack of quality players on their defence. 

Tough Break

What can you say…while it was far from their finest effort, the Edmonton Oilers were certainly dealt a crappy hand on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Kings over at Rexall Place. While it looked as though Connor McDavid had snuck a last second game-tying goal past Jonathan Quick to force overtime, the replay official saw it differently and in the end it left Edmonton on the wrong side of a 3-2 decision.

Growing Pains

With the Edmonton Oilers mere days away from starting their 2015-16 schedule, the organization finally pulled the plug on the Nikita Nikitin experiment. While you can bet management was hoping the veteran blueliner would rebound from what was a disastrous first season in Oilers silks, Peter Chiarelli and company wasted little time in recognizing the situation for what it was.

The Times They Are A Changin'

It has been quite some time since the Edmonton Oilers were a major player in the free agent market. That all changed on Wednesday morning. Peter Chiarelli decided to go big game hunting and came away with defenceman Andrej Sekera for his troubles. While it didn’t come cheaply, a six-year deal that will see the veteran rearguard earn $33 million, it was the sort of move this organization desperately needed to make.