The Edmonton Oilers made a very strange roster move today, assigning forward Mark Arcobello to the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons. The team also recalled prized-defensive prospect Oscar Klefbom from the Oklahoma City Barons to complete the strange transaction.
Arcobello has been one of the only bright spots for Edmonton this season. The rookie center stepped up big to fill in for injured forward Sam Gagner, and has actually been very consistent since game one. Arcobello has 12 points in 20 games, and has been very good in the face-off circle as well as being a defensively responsible option.
He’s been one of the few forwards that can be trusted by coach Eakins, and to send him down to OKC boggles my mind. He’s playing at a high-level right now and has done everything asked of him, he’s earned an NHL roster spot. Arcobello has impressed so much in the early going, some have him in the Calder Trophy race. He’s certainly made a case for himself in that regard.
Arcobello has been part of the solution so far this season, and to see him get demoted is a shock to me. He’s been arguably Edmonton’s most consistent forward and has earned every second of ice time he has played. Considering coach Eakins praised Arco’s body of work just two days ago and keeps preaching that players need to earn their ice time, this is a big surprise.
Arcobello does not need to clear waivers, and part of me wonders if there might be something deeper to this, possibly a move on the horizon. Either way, this doesn’t make sense at this time.
The team recalled defender Oscar Klefbom from OKC, and he’s expected to be in Edmonton at some point tonight. That said, Oilers play-by-play voice and friend of the Oilers Rig Radio show Jack Michaels reported that Klefbom won’t be there in time to play tonight against the San Jose Sharks.
Klefbom is expected to make his NHL regular season debut tomorrow night on the HNIC stage in Calgary when the Oilers battle the Flames in the first edition of the Battle of Alberta.
Klefbom was drafted by the Oilers in the first round with the 19th overall selection in the 2011 NHL entry draft. He played the 2011-12 season in Sweden, and started last year in Sweden as well before suffering a season ending shoulder injury. Klefbom made his North American debut this season, starting the year with the OKC Barons.
Klefbom has struggled a little bit, and was even a healthy scratch a few weeks back due to poor play. He’s learning the ropes and isn’t ready for a long NHL stint yet, we saw that during the pre-season where he showed flashes but was far from consistent.
The rumor is that someone on the Oilers blue-line is hurt and that Klefbom is an injury recall. Others suspect a trade will happen, and some even think the Oilers are showcasing the young Swede blue-liner for other teams.
Word is abound on twitter that Oilers captain Andrew Ference did not skate this morning, so that could be part of the issue here. Either way, this is very strange timing for a call-up and send down.
To me, Mark Arcobello got shafted here, and somehow someway Will Acton lives another day on an NHL roster.
What say you Oilers fans?
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