Magnus Paajarvi recalled Or was he?
Even the most professional of professional sports organizations can make errors every now and then. Who could forget the debacle with the Chicago Blackhawks and their qualifying offer mix-up? No one is immune to the occasion front office miscue, but it sure doesn't seem to reflect well on the competency of the men running the show. This week, the Edmonton Oilers found themselves in the midst of an embarrassing situation involving a player on their farm team.
GM Steve Tambellini was diplomatic about the matter: "We believed we had confirmation to recall Magnus as one of our four call-ups after the trade deadline. The league informed us today the only way he could be recalled was under an emergency recall basis." (Oilers.com) Oilers president of hockey operations Kevin Lowe, however, was none too pleased with the situation.
Perhaps the rule should be reconsidered. But in any case, the Oilers will be without the services of Paajarvi, even though his presence may not have made a difference for an Oilers team struggling with consistency. Edmonton recently enjoyed big wins against the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, but dropped their last two against Dallas and Los Angeles. The players and coaching staff seemed to be on the same page regarding the teams struggles.
The Oilers have four more games this season, and although they don't mean anything, the team is simply hoping to close out the year on somewhat of a high note.