Edmonton Oilers prospect Teemu Hartikainen(notes) was assigned to the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League on Monday.
The big 20-year-old Finnish winger was fighting an uphill battle in a crowded group of forwards.
"This is tougher than I thought it would be … you have maybe one second to make a play, then somebody is hitting you. It's different in Europe," said the 210-pounder, who played in the Finnish Elite League last season, netting 33 points in 53 games for Kal-Pa.
He set up centre Chris Vande Velde's(notes) goal with a nice pass in an 8-2 pre-season victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday night.
The Oilers also assigned veteran forwards Brad Moran(notes), who could be the Barons No. 1 centre, and Gregory Stewart(notes), who got the game-winning breakaway goal to beat the Canucks in Vancouver last Wednesday. Moran makes $225,000 US to play in the AHL. Stewart played five games for the Montreal Canadiens last season and could be an injury call-up.
Defencemen Johan Motin(notes) and Jake Taylor(notes), who played for the Springfield Falcons last season, were also sent to the AHL, which leaves the Oilers with 12 blue-liners in camp.
Forward Jared Aulin(notes), who was in camp on a tryout, was released. He played almost 15 minutes against the Canucks on Sunday and won nine of 15 faceoffs, but the Oilers have too many signed forwards.
Aulin played for the Columbus Blue Jackets AHL club in Syracuse last season, but was a victim of the numbers game in Edmonton. He has been offered a tryout in Oklahoma City, with Moran, Ryan O'Marra(notes) and Vande Velde the likely top three centres on the farm team.
The Oilers have 37 players still in camp: four goalies, 12 defencemen and 21 forwards.
GOALIES STAYING PUT?
The Oilers did a nice job in their signing of goalies Jeff Deslauriers(notes) and Devan Dubnyk(notes) this summer. They have tried to ensure their contracts were written in such a manner that teams would have to think twice before claiming one of them on waivers if Nikolai Khabibulin(notes) is the starter.
Deslauriers's $1.015-million US one-year salary is hefty for a backup. Dubnyk, while making $800,000, has two years on his contract. The Minnesota Wild could realistically go for veteran goalie Martin Gerber(notes), too, on waivers because his salary is only $500,000 in the NHL, and $200,000 in the minors.
But the early money has the Wild interested in signing free agent Jose Theodore(notes) at a low salary.
Deslauriers has only played 31 preseason minutes, giving up one goal in eight shots. Dubnyk has played 60 minutes, giving up three goals while facing 32 shots.
PISANI LIGHTS IT UP
Former Oilers winger Fernando Pisani(notes) has three assists and six penalty minutes in his two pre-season games with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Pisani, who had two feeds and was chosen first star in the Hawks win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, figures to be on Chicago's third line with centre Dave Bolland(notes). Pisani has been used with Patrick Sharp(notes) on one of Chicago's top penalty-killing units.
"He's had a really good camp, strong leadership skills and he's smart and useful. Makes simple plays," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville.
Another former Oilers forward, Ryan Potulny(notes), who has also dressed for two games with the Blackhawks, scored against Detroit on Saturday and the feeling is that he'll make the team, too, on the fourth line, because of his versatility.
PETTERSSON'S NEW GIG
Former Oilers draft pick Fredrik Pettersson(notes) (fifth-round, 2005), who went back to Sweden in 2007 after the Oilers felt they had enough small forwards, looks like he's going to crack the Atlanta Thrashers roster.
Pettersson has two points and eight shots in his first two Thrashers games as an energy winger. The 23-year-old played on the Swedish world championship team with Magnus Paajarvi and Linus Omark(notes).
AND …
- -Centre Riley Nash(notes) has been assigned to the Carolina Hurricanes AHL farm club in Charlotte. The Oilers' third first-round draft pick in 2007, who was traded to the Hurricanes at the draft for a second-round pick they used on Slovak defenceman Martin Marincin (Prince George Cougars), played three exhibitions games for the Hurricanes, but did not get any points).
- -Local product Matt Kassian(notes), who participated in Perry Pearn's 3-on-3 pro camp sessions in Edmonton late this summer, has had a great camp with the Minnesota Wild. He looks like he's making the club as their enforcer since Derek Boogaard(notes) is with the New York Rangers this season.
- -Centre/winger Marc Pouliot(notes) only played about seven minutes against the Oilers when the Tampa Bay Lightning played here last Wednesday since he injured his neck. He's still in very tough to make the club because Dominic Moore(notes) is going to be the club's third-line centre and Nate Thompson(notes) will be the fourth-line pivot. Adam Hall(notes) and Johan Harju(notes) could be Thompson's wingers.
- -Former Oilers defenceman Janne Niinimaa is living in Oulu, Finland, but he's playing for Lulea, Linus Omark's old team in Sweden. It's a 30-minute drive across the border daily for games and practices. Niinimaa led the Swedish Elite League in points after the first weekend with five in two games. His wife goes to university in Oulu.
- -Oilers defenceman Jason Strudwick(notes), who didn't play in the Joey Moss Cup or the first two exhibition games, got his first shot against the Canucks on Sunday. "The fans were clamouring for me," joked the likely No. 7 defenceman.
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