Edmonton Oilers
Of Course They Did: Oilers Make Head-Scratching Move After Quinn Huston Callup
Fans are asking, if the Edmonton Oilers are going to put Quinn Hutson on the fourth line, why bother with the callup?
Of course they did… The Edmonton Oilers called up forward prospect Quinn Hutson to provide a bit of offensive scoring punch to their lineup, then immediately saddled him with Trent Frederic and Curtis Lazar on the fourth line.
In an ideal world, Frederic is giving the Oilers what they expected and signed him to bring. Unfortunately, he’s not, so this fourth-line slotting is not the ideal place to put a smaller, more dynamic scorer. Fans are immediately wondering why the Oilers are even bothering if they’re not going to put Hutson in a position to succeed.
Even if an argument can be made that Hutson isn’t a fit in the Oilers’ top six because no one deserves to come out, putting him on the third line would be better than placing him with two players who are unlikely to crack eight minutes against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night. Perhaps this is as much about getting Frederic going as it is about adding a scorer like Hutson to the lineup, even if that seems far-fetched.
Reactions to the line combinations at practice reflect what most Oilers fans are thinking.
“How in the hell is that a promotion? Play him to his strengths. Hopefully, he ends up on the 3rd line when the other plugs and passengers fail to produce,” wrote one fan on Twitter. Another added, “why even call him up. Nice flanks.”
David Staples of the Edmonton Journal writes, “The player is a scorer not a checker, so would it not have been a better idea to start him off on a line with Andrew Mangiapane and Adam Henrique, one where he’s more likely to make combination plays with fellow attackers and get more than seven or eight minutes of ice time?”
In much the same way that Ike Howard wasn’t terribly effective in a fourth-line role for the Oilers, and was eventually sent down to Bakersfield, Edmonton arguably should have just stuck with Max Jones or brought in another grittier, energy guy to play such small minutes in a non-offensive role.
It would be one thing if the Oilers were going 11-7 and double-shifting stars like Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. At least then, the rotation would see Hutson playing with gifted and elite offensive stars. And sure, while earning one’s spot has some merit, it makes little sense to plug a scorer in on a checking line.
If the idea is to provide a spark in the bottom six, that’s one thing. But, if the Oilers are expecting Hutson to motivate that fourth line into suddenly producing offense, they’re asking a lot of a player who has exactly two NHL games on his resume.
Next: Tristan Jarry Makes Surprising Admission When Talking About Trade to Oilers
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