Odd Rarity Might Be the Very Thing Keeping Connor Clattenburg in the NHL

Connor Clattenburg isn’t supposed to be in the NHL. He’s certainly not supposed to be making a case for sticking with a deep, offensively potent Edmonton Oilers roster that aspires to win a Stanley Cup. Yet, here Clattenburg is, quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Even more interesting, he’s making a case to stay put, and an odd rarity in the NHL — low expectations — might be precisely why he’s sticking.

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The 20-year-old winger isn’t carving out a spot in the NHL because of silky hands or elite scoring touch. He’s not here because of draft pedigree, either. As Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation pointed out, players with his stat line don’t get drafted, let alone earn NHL minutes. Clattenburg is here for one reason: effort.

For the Oilers, that’s all they want out of him.

Everything about his game is effort-based. His physicality, his tenacity, his relentless puck pursuit — it’s all mindset and motor. He hits. He forechecks. He goes to the net. He defends teammates without hesitation. He plays every shift like he’s trying to save his job, because in his mind, he probably is.

The organization isn’t developing Clattenburg to be a top-six scorer. They’re not waiting on a breakout that may or may not come. With Clattenburg, the assignment is simple: be a fourth-liner. Be a problem on the forecheck. Be hard to play against. Bring energy every night.

Yaremchuk argued he’s passing that assignment with flying colors. Even without the goal he scored, the reviews on his play would be the same — he does everything a fourth-line coach craves.

Are Low Expectations a Good Thing for Clattenburg?

And that’s where low expectations become a bonus. He’s not here to become something he’s not. He’s here to be the exact thing he already is. And in today’s NHL, where roles matter and coaches lean heavily on players they trust, that clarity might be what keeps him in the league far longer than anyone ever imagined.

Clattenburg’s ceiling may be a fourth-liner — but he could be a damn good one. And sometimes, that’s all you need.

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