The Oilers currently are working with a defensive rotation, and when the music stopped on Sunday night it was Mark Fayne who was left without a chair. The Oilers defense that night played well and the team got a big 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Usually, I’d say there is no need to change the lineup, but in this case I think Edmonton needs to re-insert Fayne.
Fayne deserved to be a healthy scratch on Sunday night. In the team’s 2-1 win over Dallas on Friday night he was the worst player on the ice and it wasn’t even close. Fayne was absolutely beaten in by Dallas’ attackers in terms of shot attempts and overall looked out of place on the night. He earned a night off, no doubt.
This happened earlier in the season too with Fayne. He struggled for a stretch and ended up as a healthy scratch for three straight games. The message got across and Fayne ended up playing some solid hockey for the Oilers following that, mainly paired with Oscar Klefbom.
The Oil shouldn’t wait three games this time around, they should put Fayne back in the lineup immediately, let him play against San Jose on Wednesday night. The Oilers need that game and having Fayne in the lineup gives them a better chance to win.
Mark Fayne Is A Top-Four Option:
I’m not as sold on Fayne as I was when he signed in the summer of 2013. When Craig MacTavish signed the player, he was coming off of a successful tenure with the New Jersey Devils and appeared to be a solid shut-down defender with solid underlying stats. His first season in Edmonton was underwhelming, but his second season has been better.
Fayne doesn’t do much offensively, but he’s solid defensively. He’s taken a lot of flack for goals against this season, but a number of them that have been blamed on him are simply not his fault. Yes, he is in the area and part of the picture, but he’s usually been trying to cover for other players’ mistakes.
Is Fayne a great defender? No, he isn’t, but he’s a good one and he’s one of the four best in Edmonton. To my eye, it goes Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse and then Mark Fayne. Sitting Fayne more than one game because of his bad outing last Friday is a bold and unneeded move.
The Long-Term Outlook:
At current glance, the Oilers are probably better off keeping Mark Fayne than moving him out. Things can change, but if the Oilers stay in the playoff chase then they will need help on the blueline for the stretch drive. Fayne can only help.
His contract has some term on it too, another two seasons, so it’s highly doubtful a team takes him on mid-season. I’m confident in saying that Mark Fayne will remain an Edmonton Oiler through the end of the season. After that, however, it’s fair game.
Fayne isn’t a Todd McLellan defender. McLellan likes guys that can move the puck and who can quickly stand-up at the blue-line. Fayne isn’t exactly that kind of player. He’s also not a big and physical defender, a Peter Chiarelli type player if you well. He’s kind of stuck in the middle and was brought in by the previous management group. That isn’t a good sign for the player moving forward.
Final Thoughts:
A lot of fans and bloggers have been all over Fayne this season. In some cases, they have been right, the player has been wildly inconsistent and has had some really bad games. Overall, however, Fayne is one of Edmonton’s better defenders and should be in the lineup on a regular basis until the team acquires someone to fill his spot.
Hopefully Todd McLellan realizes this and inserts Fayne back in on Wednesday night for the team’s key tilt against the Sharks.
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