The Oilers End Their Mysterious Relationship With Cody Wild

Word from the Oilers this afternoon that they've traded Cody Wild to the Boston Bruins in exchange for forward Matt Marquardt.

Marquardt is a big player.  Finally, eleven months after promising Oilers' fans size and toughness, Steve Tambellini delivers in a big, big way.

Marquardt appeared in 71 games in 2008-2009, scoring nine goals and thirteen assists and a -9  against the tough competition for the Bruins.  He was in the 85th percentile in the entire AHL for qualcomp, so there's that.  In 2009-2010, he's appeared in 42 games with one goal and nine assists and a -9 rating (no qualcomp data available).  He's very similar to Colin McDonald in that regard.

Wild recorded eighteen points in 59 games last year and fourteen points in 37 games this year, outscoring Marquardt in total and per game.  However, as the old axiom suggests, you can never have enough .283 ppg scorers in the AHL as long as they are big and tough.

The move brings to a close one of the more bizarre prospect relationships that we've seen from the Edmonton Oilers, and that's saying a mouthful.

So, Wild is gone to Boston and Taylor Chorney will be groomed for the rest of the season to replace the recently-departed Denis Grebeshkov. a move that makes sense, I guess, given Chorney's struggles with the professional game at the AHL level.  Send out two defensemen who seem to be getting it to make way for the one that's not is...to quote the great Harry Doyle:  "Christ, I can't find it. To hell with it!"

It wasn't hard to read the writing on the wall, however, as the lines of communications between the Oilers and Wild weren't that well-constructed:

C&B:  He also said he'd like to see you play with more of an edge, and in the pictures that we obtained from the Albany game on Halloween, you seemed mighty perturbed.  That's not your normal demeanor?

Wild:  Nah, that's not my normal demeanor.  I play with an edge when I need to play with an edge.  I don't go out of my way to run someone - that's not my role.  It's not my style of play to go running around and challenging guys to fight.  I'll throw a hit when it's there, but I'm not going to be out of position and cause a two on one the other way.  You want to be gritty in this game - you can't be a pushover at all and I don't believe that I am by any means.  I'm not afraid to go into the corners with anyone, and I'm not afraid to battle in front of the net with anyone.  The "edge" comments I don't really understand, but I guess I'll go out there and play with more edge.

C&B:  During the losing streak in December, you took a healthy scratch a couple of times.  Was the staff looking for something specific from you, or was that a way of shaking up the lineup?

Wild:  I wish I knew.  I have no idea why I was out of the lineup.  I guess maybe he wanted to get another guy in there to see what he could do. 

and the final indication that the Oilers weren't managing things well:

C&B:  Is the organization happy with your progress?

Wild:  I think they are, I can't tell.

If I were to appear on hockey's version of Card Sharks right now and Jim Perry asked me if Wild's ceiling was higher or lower with the Boston Bruins, I'd point both fingers into the air and scream "HIGHER!", because, well because the Oilers made the trade and betting against Oilers' management since July 2006 is the stone nuts.

I just spoke to Wild and he said that he was very excited to get a fresh start and that he'll be reporting immediately to Providence.  I have to wish Wild all of the best.  He's a genuinely nice kid and I hope that he does turn out to be Boston's version of Michal Rozsival.  Best of luck to Steve Tambellini and the Edmonton Oilers.