Brett Clark Signs With the Wild

The Minnesota Wild's addition is a loss for the Oilers organization, as Neal Livingston points out.

"For a guy who wasn’t on many NHL radars in January, he’s has spent nearly one and a half months earning his right to be a major leaguer. That speaks a lot to who he is as a player, and as a person. Great PK guy. Played QB on the power play. Protected Taylor Fedun somewhat by counteracting his youngster tendencies in defensive situations. Great passer. Sharp thinker. Team leader. - Neal Livingston"

For a team that is having issues finding a reliable bottom pair on defence, you'd have thought Brett Clark might have been in the equation for the Oilers.

When Edmonton Oilers’ GM Steve Tambellini was asked 10 days ago in Minnesota, if he thought veteran farmhand defenceman Brett Clark might get spirited away by another NHL team, he admitted that Clark was likely on other people’s radar, probably because D-men are at a premium. - Jim Matheson

Oh good, so the team struggling on the blueline recognizes that they've got a guy who could potentially help another club, because guys at that position are hard to find, but don't clue in that they might be able to use him?

Ladies and gentlemen, your Edmonton Oilers.

Of course it is open to debate how much he could actually help the Oilers, but what isn't up for debate was how much he was helping in Oklahoma City. Not only did he play defensively like he'd been an NHLer in the past, he was just a touch under a point per game. The Barons don't have a lot of defensive depth, despite the number of First!!!11!! round picks on the team. Brett Clark was an anchor on the blueline and losing him is a big blow to the Barons playoff hopes.