Oilers Recall Reinhart: The Right Move?

The Edmonton Oilers recalled Griffin Reinhart on Friday afternoon. Brandon Davidson was hurt and it looked pretty bad on Thursday night in Dallas judging by his struggles to get off the ice. I’m glad the hockey gods decided to gift the Oilers with another injury, I mean it wouldn’t be fair to go through a whole season with so few…….

Sarcasm aside, the loss of Davidson is a big blow. It sucks. He’s been a bright spot for this hockey club this season and in my mind has played himself into the plans moving forward. He’ll never be a sexy player, hell he may never be a legit top four defender, but he’s a solid NHL’er who could be a value contract for Edmonton next season.

How long the team is without him is anyone’s guess. I’d imagine it’ll be a few games, however, and putting Brad Hunt back into the lineup isn’t exactly an appealing choice for the Oil at this time. That meant dipping into Bakersfield and picking a replacement. Enter Reinhart.

The Big Cat:

Reinhart hasn’t seen the NHL in a few months, so it might be a good idea to remember who this player is. Griffin Reinhart is a physical shut-down defender, but he’s a guy with some foot-speed issues and who struggles moving the puck. He’s also not ready for top four duty in the NHL and is best suited with a puck moving partner.

In his first stint, Reinhart struggled big time when paired with Eric Gryba, a similar styled defender. That said, when with Brandon Davidson, Reinhart had a lot more success. To me, it was key that he didn’t have to worry about the puck moving aspect.

The First Stint:

Reinhart’s first stint as an Oiler wasn’t really telling. He made the team out of camp and actually played well early on for the Oilers. That said, he got injured and took some time to get back to full speed. He struggled after returning and by that point both Darnell Nurse and Brandon Davidson established themselves in the lineup. It was back to the minors for Reinhart.

I did see some things that I liked in his first go around, however. I thought he was physical and actually excelled at breaking up the cycle. He was strong in his own end and fared quite well in a third pairing role, something I didn’t expect right out of the gate.

I saw him bad with his puck moving, however, and he did look a step behind in the speed department. I also thought his decision making was questionable at times, but so goes it in regards to young defenders.

What Can We Expect?:

This is a tough question because viewings and reviews of Reinhart in the AHL have brought backed mixed results. Here’s what we know for sure, he didn’t dominate at the level and that’s a slight reason for concern. That said, Reinhart also wasn’t a bad player for the Condors and has clearly earned this recall.

I think we can expect third pairing minutes from Reinhart and some physical play. However, we shouldn’t expect much of anything offensively and we should expect puck moving to be an issue with this player. No doubt, Reinhart is a step down from Brandon Davidson at this point. Those safe and steady plays will likely be far less moving forward.

Was This The Right Call?:

I’m torn here, because I think there are other and more deserving options in the AHL right now. Personally, I’d have rather seen Jordan Oesterle or David Musil get the call. Why? Musil looked good in NHL duty last season and has been solid for the Condors while Oesterle is extremely confident right now, is a solid puck mover and fared well in an NHL stint a year ago.

Griffin Reinhart was acquired for a hefty price back in June at the entry draft, and he was brought in to be a part of the future on defense for this organization. The Oilers need to get it right with this player or they risk having a colossal failure of a transaction on their hands. I believe more AHL time, to the point where Reinhart is dominating that league, is needed.

I would have left Griffin in the AHL for a lengthier period and I think this is a mistake to recall him at this time.