Ek's note: It is with great excitement that I proudly introduce you to our new Oilers beat writer Ryan Garner. Ryan is the first of two new Oilers writers we are adding to our roster as we head into the '13-14 season...and he is a hell of a great start. Many of you may remember Ryan as our former Sharks blogger, but may not have known Ryan is an Alberta kid through and through and I can't begin to tell you how perfect of a fit he is for the Oilers. As for the second writer, I am still going through so many great applicants and am psyched by all I am reading!
Greetings Oiler fans, and thanks for having me. You’ll get to know me over time, but I was born in Lethbridge, raised in Fort McMurray, and I’ve lived south of the border for the last 10 years. I’m based in San Francisco, and served as the San Jose Sharks blogger from October 2006 until February 2011, learning the ropes before stepping up to the blogging big leagues. I have to thank Eklund for allowing me the opportunity to help inform and entertain one of the league’s most knowledgeable and passionate fanbases. The Edmonton Oilers blogosphere possesses some incredible talents, and I’m thrilled to slot in on the depth chart somewhere between Dean McAmmond and Rem Murray.
I'm not here to sell myself, because the fact is I’m a horrible salesman. I once had a boss tell me I couldn't sell ice cream to middle-aged women. I prefer to let my work speak for itself, but I can assure you that I’ll be here day in and day out, to help drive straightforward discussion, provide some honest insight, and break the occasional story. The Oilers are on the cusp of something great, and I’m excited to report on the twists and turns as the franchise takes strides toward respectability and beyond. So pull up a chair and dig in, because there’s always plenty to talk about in Oil Country.
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Rajala Swallowed Up By The Perfect Storm
News of Toni Rajala’s “mutual contract termination” immediately reminded me of the movie The Perfect Storm, a film about a group of fishermen who get swept up by a huge storm in the Atlantic Ocean. The fishermen stave off death for nearly two hours, overcoming a variety of threats and personal obstacles. If I remember correctly, one member of the group almost has his leg gnawed off by a shark, and another nearly drowns. After a serious of near-death situations designed to ratchet up the tension ***spoiler alert*** everyone in the crew ends up dying as the elements eventually dish out their demise.
The movie’s outcome really messes with the viewer, because the sense of relief you feel about characters evading death throughout the course of the movie is eviscerated by their outcome at the end. Ultimately, the whole thing turns out to be an exercise in futility – sort of like going to the trouble of acquiring a first-round draft pick and then using it to select Riley Nash.
Just as viewers of The Perfect Storm followed the trials of the forlorn fishing boat, Oiler fans had tracked Rajala’s career with growing interest since the day he was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. They were encouraged by his decision to join the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings after being drafted. They were disheartened when he opted to rejoin Ilves Tampere of the Finnish Elite League the following summer. And they were hopeful for the future after he racked up big numbers for the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder (38 points in 29 games) and AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons (45 points in 46 games) last season.
An Unsatisfying End
Rajala’s tenure with the Oilers ended as abruptly as it began on Friday morning, leaving disappointed fans to wonder why they’d endured all the twists and turns for such an unsatisfying result. Personally, I couldn't have been more surprised if I woke to find bacon stapled to my face. The questions of who and where and when are easy to ascertain, but the why is quite a bit trickier.
Some have estimated that Rajala’s size factored into the decision. Rajala’s so small (5’10”, 163) you have to keep him away from bug zappers, so slight that you have to fill his pockets with marbles so he doesn’t blow away when the wind picks up. Granted, players like Brian Gionta and Tyler Ennis have proven that guys with a smaller stature can compete in the league, but it’s still an uphill climb for someone that size proving that he can produce at the NHL level. However, I don’t think you cut a guy loose simply because he’s built like Olive Oil, especially when he’s able to put up the numbers Rajala did.
I also don’t buy the theory that the Oilers made the move to free up a contract and create some breathing room against the limit of 50. You don’t just slice and dice talented prospects under the assumption you’ll find guys skilled enough to replace them, especially when the guy being shown the door was expected to lead your AHL club in scoring. Perhaps Rajala was simply lured by the money he could make playing overseas, rather than in the minors on a two-way deal, but I think it’s more complicated than that. Ultimately, I think Rajala just wanted out.
Suiting Up In Stockton
I can imagine Rajala was upset that the organization stuck him in the ECHL for a good chunk of the season. Have you ever been to Stockton, California? If not, let me paint the picture for you. Imagine Wetaskiwin, but take away the vibrant nightlife, slice the literacy rate in half, and ramp up the gun crime. They sell a lot of cars in Wetaskiwin, they steal a lot of cars in Stockton. Rajala had to have spent a few nights last season sitting in a ramshackle hotel room, wondering why he was stuck bulging the twine in the ECHL while his peers (Eberle is 23, Hall is 21, Nugent-Hopkins is 20) were performing on the hockey world’s biggest stage.
Of course, Rajala’s situation is nothing new in Edmonton. He joins other notable (insert your favorite adjective) turncoats/ingrates/Europeans Teemu Hartikainen and Linus Omark – players who got a taste of Edmonton and ultimately opted to play as far from the Heartland of Hockey as they could get. I could imagine Edmonton general manager Craig MacTavish simply being ticked off and sending a message to other guys thinking of pulling the yo-yo act across the pond: You’re other with us or you’re against us. Rather than haggling with another kid who chooses to bounce back and forth to Europe, it’s conceivable that the team would rather just cut ties.
Ultimately, hockey mirrors the movie (which is based on a true story), as both departed prospects and deceased fishermen are remembered fondly by those who knew them best. For the rest of us they become a historical footnote, a name that fans or friends reminisce about during conversations that begin with “Whatever happened to…” In the end the outcome – out of sight, out of mind – is the same for both those who were swallowed up by the pond, and those who chose to play across it.
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Quick Spills
-Anyone else notice the delicious irony that Rajala was Ilves Tampere’s second-leading scorer last season behind Jesse Niinimaki? Turns out both players spent one abbreviated season playing for an Oilers’ farm team. At least it was only a fourth-round pick wasted on Rajala, who will prove to be much more forgettable (and less regrettable) than Edmonton’s first-round bust from 2002.
-The Oilers’ newest additions had their numbers announced recently. Jason LaBarbera (foreshadowing a goaltender controvery) will wear number 1, while Richard Bachman snagged number 30. On the blueline, Philip Larsen, Denis Grebeshkov and Anton Belov will wear numbers 36, 37 and 77, respectively. Jesse Joensuu grabbed number 6. I’ve always figured single-digit numbers are reserved for everyday NHLers, so this is either a very good sign, or a very bad one.Rounding out the new additions, Boyd Gordon will don number 27 and Will Acton scored number 41.
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