Top Left Header
Header
Go Home
Sports
Arrow
NHL
Arrow
Title - Oil Drop
Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS Follow Us with E-Mail Updates!
Follow Me on TwitterRob Soria is the Edmonton Oilers' correspondent for OurHometown.ca. Rob was born and raised in Edmonton and is the author of the Edmonton Oilers blog - OilDrop.ca. He has been a dedicated follower of the game and its history for years but his focus remains on his hometown Edmonton Oilers. If you have questions or wish to contact Rob, you can email him at rsoria@ourhometown.ca
Who's kidding who about Nugent-Hopkins injury?
Rob Soria
OurHometown.ca

Who
With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins latest injury, the Edmonton Oilers have decided to recall winger Magnus Paajarvi from Oklahoma City to take the spot of the rookie sensation. Initial indication is that Nugent-Hopkins is scheduled to be out of the lineup a week to ten days but whose kidding who.
PHOTO CREDIT - EdmontonOilers.com

Edmonton - February 8, 2012 - With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins latest injury, the Edmonton Oilers have decided to recall winger Magnus Paajarvi from Oklahoma City to take the spot of the rookie sensation. Initial indication is that Nugent-Hopkins is scheduled to be out of the lineup a week to ten days but who's kidding who. With the youngster already having missed over a month of action and the shoulder not being able to withstand nothing more then a solid jolt, I honestly can't see him missing anything less then a couple of weeks and it wouldn't surprise me in the least, if it ends up being a little more.

Nugent-Hopkins told the media that the injury wasn't a re-aggravation but rather "something above" the original injury...and this is supposed to be a good thing? Obviously, the shoulder isn't as strong as it needs to be and if the kid requires extra time to rest and heal, then he better take the time necessary to rehab it further. After hurting his shoulder in Chicago on January 2nd, RNH stated this was the first time he had really been sidelined due to injury in his career. At this stage of the game, he clearly isn't a quick healer so the Oilers will be cautious and ensure they do not rush him back. While it would be great for the Nuge to take home the Calder Trophy, in the grand scheme of things, it ultimately means nothing.

Paajarvi will be get another shot at trying to salvage what has been a dreadful season. During his two stints in Oklahoma City, the winger has managed to collect ten points in fourteen games while being one of the team's better players. Having said that, Magnus needs to realize that he has to go into the tough areas, if he wants to find his game at the NHL level. Being a perimeter player gets players no where in this league and that is exactly what Paajarvi has done all year long.

With Edmonton's recent struggles to find consistent secondary scoring, one would think that the talented Swede is coming up to play in a top six role. If that isn't going to be the case, then I haven't the slighest clue for the recall. If the plan is to have him see more action on the third and fourth lines, then having Paajarvi come back to Edmonton is a huge mistake. He doesn't need more minutes with the Eric Belanger's and Ben Eager's of the world. He needs a solid opportunity with top six players. If he is given that chance and Magnus can't get the job done, then he needs to take a long look in the mirror and figure out what type of player he wants to be. He has all the tools in the shed to be an effective top six NHL forward but he needs to prove that he has the desire and fire within, to push himself to become a better player.


Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS Follow Us with E-Mail Updates!
Send Us Your Thoughts


Title - Story Count
8,402 Stories & Growing Daily...

To date OurHometown.ca has posted a total of 8,402 stories! News, sports, hockey, lifestyle, opinion and more!

Be sure to check out our Contributors and Columnists archives!


Title - More OH Headlines
Click on Photo or Story Title for more info
Detroit Grand Prix Canceled for 2020
Team Canada will not send athletes to Games in summer 2020 due to COVID-19 risks
NBA to suspend season following Wednesday
Lyn St. James to Race in Historic Trans-Am Series at the 2020 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix
2019 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear Fast Facts
OurHometown.ca News Database Last Updated:
Jan. 28, 2024 @ 1:06 PM EST





Footer
Free Sitemap Generator