The Buzz · Edmonton Morning Wire

Your Oilers just made the weirdest move with Leon Draisaitl

Your Oilers just made the weirdest move

Okay, so you wake up, you pour your coffee, and you're just trying to ease into the day, right? Maybe you’re scrolling through the news, hoping for something that isn’t another cold snap warning or a story about property taxes on the Lewis Farms rec centre. And then you see it, tucked away, almost like they don't want you to notice: the Edmonton Oilers have put Leon Draisaitl on Long Term Injured Reserve. And then they called up a young power forward from the Condors. Now, I’ve seen some things in my time following this team, going all the way back to the days of Gretzky weaving magic on the Northlands Coliseum ice, but this… this has a particular flavour to it. It’s like finding out your favourite diner on Whyte Avenue suddenly started serving sushi. It just doesn’t quite fit.

Honestly though, it’s a chess move, isn’t it? A bit of cap wizardry, perhaps, to make room for something else down the line. We’re all sitting here, sipping our Tim Hortons, wondering if this is a genuine injury or if Ken Holland is playing a three-dimensional game of checkers that the rest of us mere mortals can’t comprehend. It’s certainly got everyone talking, from Mill Woods to St. Albert. You can almost hear the collective scratching of heads across the River Valley. Is this the kind of shake-up that sparks a run, or are we just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic? (I kid, I kid. Mostly.)

Edmonton doesn't need your approval. Never did. But sometimes, even we have to pause and raise an eyebrow. This is one of those times.

My colleagues on the morning show are definitely going to have thoughts on this — catch their take live at mornings.live.

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