The Oilers are apparently so deep on the blueline within the organization that they cannot keep draft picks Martin Gernat and David Musil on the Barons’ roster. The two Oiler young Oiler assets have been sent down a rung on the organizational ladder to the ECHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Forgive me for my skepticism, however, about that Oiler depth on the back end. Sure, they have bodies occupying space on their rosters, but I think most non-Oiler fans would mock the club for labeling that “Depth”.
The Oilers have mismanaged their defense so poorly that now they are forced to develop two young players in the ECHL. Now a good number of very fine players have come from the ECHL to have quality NHL careers, but this does not make the situation any less ideal. East Coast Hockey League teams are not run by Oiler hired coaches as they are in the AHL. Todd Nelson’s job is to develop players so they become Edmonton Oilers. The team supports the Barons and their staff to the fullest extent possible. We should be seeing Edmonton’s best young prospects playing in the AHL developing against the best comparable competition.
Yes, Musil and Gernat are going to be playing big minutes (likely) in the ECHL, but how much development are we going to really see if they aren’t pushed by their competition? Learning comes from struggle, and I don’t buy that this will be some great character builder either. Want character? Shovel a sidewalk in the cold. Want a defenseman to develop into an NHL player? Have him play against the best possible competition and taught by the best possible teachers.
I don’t see this as a good thing at all. This is not something Oiler fans should boast as a good thing. “Look how deep we are! Gernat and Musil aren’t good enough to play in the AHL because we have so many defensemen!” Bahumbug to that! This is a result of some seriously poor decision making by Oiler management. Yes, some of this falls on MacTavish; not all of it, but some of it.
The Oilers are rich in 5/6 defensemen throughout their organization. They have so many NHL 5/6 guys that they couldn’t even house them in the NHL anymore. The AHL is supposed to be a developmental league. It’s where you expect to find the Marincins and Klefboms of the world. These are young men with NHL potential who are learning the game. The Oilers have Corey Potter (29) and Dennis Grebeshkov (30) taking up two spots that should be held down by younger developing players. These are both players on 1 way deals that the club envisioned playing on their NHL roster.
Grebeshkov and Potter don’t belong on the Barons, not because they earned NHL spots, but because they aren’t developing players of note. Corey Potter is on Steve Tambellini. He was given a 2 year deal after a very short amount of NHL success at a late stage of his pro-career. Now I’m not saying I disliked Potter, but the Oilers obviously have no place for him. I will say, though, that I disliked Denis Grebeshkov. There was absolutely no reason to assume that Grebeshkov could come into the NHL and play at a high level. He was dumped by this organization once already and struggled in the KHL. Signing him to a deal above the 925K mark was folly. Heck, signing him at all was folly. That one is on MacTavish.
Now the Oilers are so “Deep” in terrible defensemen that they have to send two young defensemen whose future MAY be in the NHL down to a 3rd rate league in hopes that they can develop. Will the Barons be better off for it today? Sure. No doubt Potter and Grebeshkov are up to the task of playing in the AHL. Will that benefit the Oilers at all? Not likely. Show me where it says that additional AHL wins translates into NHL wins. They don’t. I’d rather the Barons lose more games but Musil and Gernat learn against the best available competition than they win on the backs of 30 year olds who wont ever help the NHL club.
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