Oilers Chose Not To Offer Rookie Max To Omark?

by Jonathan Willis on May 14, 2009 8:42 AM MDT in Prospects

A couple of articles in Sweden today picked up on Kevin Prendergast's comments praising Linus Omark's performance at the IIHF World Championships, including the Norrbottons Kuriren, which had this to say:

Det har inte gått NHL-klubben Edmonton Oilers obemärkt förbi.

Som tidigare i våras valde att inte erbjuda Linus Omark topplönen för rookies, 850.000 dollar, motsvarande 6,6 miljoner kronor i årslön.

That's the original text, which I ran through Google Translator, and it spat out this:

There have been NHL club Edmonton Oilers unnoticed.

As earlier in the spring chose not to offer Linus Unchecked top salary for Rookies, $ 850,000, equivalent to 6.6 million in annual salary.

(bolding mine)

The reason I point this out is that everything I've heard from Prendergast would seem to indicate that the debate was not about money, but rather about a guaranteed roster spot. Now, it's possible that there's a translation error here, and it's also possible that this has cropped up somewhere before, but I certainly haven't seen it.

Thoughts? I'm especially interested if the translation can be confirmed.

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Comments

There were actually quite a few comments by Omark about they money differential. The one that stuck out was probably where he commented that the money was not even close and that he was insulted by the Oilers’ offer.

No comments on the Oilers’ offer was forthcoming from KP, but that’s probably keeping in line with club policy.

by Jon Kerber on May 14, 2009 9:53 AM MDT reply actions

Actually that second comment about KP is not correct now that I think a bit further. KP did comment in a later interview that they had sent a second offer to Omark’s European agent but apparently he had already signed the KHL contract. There was supposedly time pressure from the KHL team to sign right away.

by Jon Kerber on May 14, 2009 11:17 AM MDT reply actions

Yeah, I remember something like what Jon Kerber is saying there. It sounded like KP lowballed them a bit to start, and came back with a better offer that didn’t get passed on prior to the KHL deal being signed. My understanding of things was that the new deal was better monetarily, but still didn’t include any promises about playing in the NHL rather than the A this year.

As an aside, am I the only one who finds it kinda funny that a slick offensive forward’s last name translates as Unchecked? Not quite as good as Uncheckable, but still.

by MattM on May 14, 2009 11:48 AM MDT reply actions

Better than “can’t check his hat.”

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on May 14, 2009 12:15 PM MDT up reply actions

That's why Nilsson went to watch him...

“Hey look – here’s a young Swedish player that nobody is following – he’s even changed his name ot “Unchecked” in protest!"

It's only my opinion, but it's right.

Writer for The Copper & Blue, OilersNation, and CanucksArmy.

by Jonathan Willis on May 14, 2009 2:18 PM MDT up reply actions

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