I’ve noticed a few people weren’t pleased with the recall of F Ryan Hamilton on Saturday by the Oilers. This is because Hamilton is not a skilled guy and the Oilers are lacking skill due to injury right now. That said, with the injury to Benoit Pouliot causing him to go on the IR, I’m a believer that recalling Hamilton was the correct call by the Edmonton Oilers.
More steady, veteran, players are needed in the lineup, not shaky and unproven young players getting their first taste of the NHL.
Let The Others Develop:
The Oilers have already recalled Anton Slepyshev and Andrew Miller this season. Slepyshev had that great training camp and rightfully made the team out of camp, but he had minimal impact during his regular season stint and clearly needs more time developing. By all accounts, he’s doing well in the AHL and adjusting to the North American game.
Miller, on the other hand, didn’t make the team out of camp but still found a way onto the NHL roster during the season. He didn’t have much of an impact in his stint, in fact I have to say I was disappointed in Miller. I saw him good last season but did not this time around. He’s also doing quite well in the AHL right now.
Bogdan Yakimov just returned from injury and needs some time to shake off the rust, while other prospects like Greg Chase, Kyle Platzer and Braden Christoffer are adjusting to the professional game and are not ready at this time.
Why Hamilton Is Right:
The Oilers have a bunch of younger players already in the lineup, guys who are adjusting to the NHL game and who make those developmental mistakes each night. Hamilton is a veteran professional player who knows what he is doing. He’s a calm player and makes smart plays a lot more often than not.
He also has size, he’s 6’2” and 219 pounds, and can play a physical game. That’s exactly the type of player that Todd McLellan and Peter Chiarelli like to have at their disposal.
Hamilton can also play on the penalty kill, a valuable trait, and has the ability to be a net front presence on the power-play if need be.
He has his downfalls as a player, he’s too slow and doesn’t possess good offensive traits, but he’s an overall solid hockey player that can handle spot duty.
Final Thoughts:
I’m assuming that Benoit Pouliot will miss minimal time on the IR, meaning that he’ll likely be back by the middle of the week and may only miss two more games. This is likely a short term recall for Edmonton, meaning a role player is needed. Hamilton is the kind of guy that you recall in this spot.
There is also a chance that the Oilers don’t even play Hamilton over the next few days. The team’s current forward group, which hasn’t included Pouliot, is 2-0-0. Sure, they’ve had some bad moments, but they have found a way to win both tilts with another key cog out of the lineup. It’s not crazy to think they can survive two more games.
Even if they can’t, is putting a hungry veteran in the worst play possible? I don’t think it is.
Ryan Hamilton isn’t a sexy name, he’s a veteran player who knows his role within the organization. That said, I’d rather have him up for a short term recall than some of the other options. Let the others keep developing in the AHL where they currently belong and reward a veteran that has played some solid hockey this season.
Remember, there is a strong chance that this player doesn’t even see time over the next week in Edmonton.
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