Weekend Update: Oh No!

Look out below Oklahoma, this Oiler team needs to rummage through the cupboards again. As tweeted by the Barons Taylor Chorney, Colten Teubert and Linus Omark were all absent from Friday morning's practice. We know that Omark has an injured ankle and now we know that Omark will miss approximately six weeks, but shortly after the Oilers released a press release saying that Chorney and Teubert have been called up. At the same time, the Barons have signed Dan Ringwald of the ECHL Stockton Thunder to a professional try out contract. This will leave the Barons with six defencemen, so the Barons will also be in a precarious situation.

There were only two Oiler games this past week, but neither game was all that pretty. Sunday night's game in Chicago against the Blackhawks saw the Oilers lose 6-3 to the Hawks. This was a game were Renney called the road trip "Awful... Next question."

Thursday night's game back home hosting the Ottawa Senators was not much better. Not only did the Oilers lose the game 5-2, but they also potentially lost three defencemen that day. Andy Sutton had a sore groin that was tweaked during warm-up so didn't even play. Corey Potter seemed in discomfort throughout the game and afterwards was said to have sprained his ankle. Lastly Jeff Petry took a shot to the hand and was taken for x-rays following the game. Thankfully for Petry, the Oilers, the Barons, and all fans involved, Petry was on the ice Friday and is said to be in good health.

This was certainly not a good week for Oilers defencemen as Cam Barker's injury status was upgraded, and he required surgery on his ankle. Barker will now be out for three months.

A decision was reached between the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers over the injured Colin Fraser. Fraser has now played 4 games as a King, but certainly had a long road to recovery following an ankle injury. King's GM Dean Lombardi thought that Oilers' GM Steve Tambellini deliberately mislead the Kings concerning the extent of Fraser's injury, while Oilers' GM Steve Tambellini denies this. Working with a mediator did not solve anything, then hours before both parties were to meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettmen, the two came to an agreement. According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the Oilers have made a small cash payment that will go towards the medical bills incurred.

There are still several opinions on this deal, but if the Kings truly believed that they were entitled to additional payments or draft picks, would they not have followed through with the meeting with Bettman. I don't see why the Kings would walk away from money they believed they were entitled to after this disagreement was made so public. This story should never have reached the media and should have been dealt with behind closed doors. Despite everything, the deal is done, and both teams are relatively happy. I of course could still not be happier that Ryan Smyth is once again an Oiler. I still attribute the hot start the Oilers had, as well as the Edmonton Eskimo's season to the return of Smyth. Yes, he means that much to the city as a whole.

Don't forget that we are mid-way through Movember. You can support members of the Oilers, Oil Kings, Barons or friends and neighbours.

The Subway Super Series came to a conclusion this week. Unfortunately for Oilers' prospect and Medicine Hat Tiger goalie Tyler Bunz, Bunz was not able to play in net. Bunz was struck in the head with a puck while playing back-up on Tuesday night. Bunz was taken to the hospital and is in good spirits, but from what I have heard and read, the swelling on Bunz's temple prevented Bunz from starting the final game Thursday night. Bunz is of course also a goaltender hopeful for the upcoming World Juniors tournament.

The Edmonton Oil Kings played only two games this week. Saturday the Oil Kings fell to the Kamloops Blazers, 5-2 and Friday night the Oil Kings hosted the Prince Albert Raiders for military appreciation night. The Oil Kings were the victors, 4-3 over the Raiders.

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