:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20117113/gyi0061835334.0.jpg)
Islanders fan garik16 had an interesting reaction to the news that Linus Omark had been waived by the Oilers:
Fun Parallel: Linus Omark was waived for having a bad preseason. Michael Grabner was once waived for a bad preseason. He then scored 34G.
— garik16 (@garik16) September 24, 2013
The lesson: Preseason means NOTHING. Somebody pick Omark up please.
— garik16 (@garik16) September 24, 2013
He followed up his tweets with an article on Omark's disappointing preseason and the parallels between it and Grabner's move to the Islanders from Vancouver via Florida:
And training camp/preseason should be a place - small sample as it is - to evaluate players as they fit on your team. But it should be FAR from the end-all-be-all. Grabner probably did have a bad training camp with the Panthers that year when he was waived - he certainly looked poor his first few games with the Isles.
...
A bad training camp can sometimes mean that a guy just got off to a bad start - it doesn't mean he's necessarily unable to handle the NHL for your team. If your team can afford patience with such a player - either because you're loaded at other positions or because you're so bare bones that you need lots of scrappy forwards - why not take a chance on a guy who has good #s before the preseason?
Not only that, as I pointed out last month, Omark's on-ice results range from tremendous to horrific depending on his linemates, but it looks to me as though he flourished with linemates who could a straight-ahead game in support of his cycle. His results with Yakupov aren't surprising - look at his results with Hemsky. And in his prior appearance, he was forced to play short-handed while Ryan Jones played tiddlywinks on the other end of the ice.
In the end, Omark will likely get another shot with Edmonton if he goes unclaimed - Edmonton's forward depth is non-existent right now. But I'm with garik - I hope someone claims Omark and gives the guy a legit shot.