On Monday morning, the Edmonton Oilers announced that forward Brendan Perlini had been placed on waivers. The move itself didn’t come as a major surprise, as the 25-year-old suited up for just two of the Oilers 12 games in February, sitting as a healthy scratch for the rest. What did come as a surprise, however, was how he reportedly learned of the news that he was being waived.
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According to Perlini’s mom, Vicki, he found out from her about the news, as she learned on Twitter before Oilers management notified him. While some won’t pay this much mind, it isn’t a great look for the organization, which could cause problems moving forward.
Bad Look for the Oilers
It is frustrating for Oilers fans to hear, but it is hard to deny the fact that their team has a tough time attracting free agents. This has plenty to do with the location, as Edmonton is known for its long, cold winters, which many players look to avoid.
On top of that, the team has had plenty of well noted struggles over the last decade. While that has improved somewhat thanks in large part to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, there are still plenty of flaws with the current roster which have been pointed out constantly throughout the 2021-22 season.
There is also the issue that many players prefer not to play in Canadian markets, simply due to the intense pressure it comes with. When things are going good in a Canadian city such as Edmonton, it is great for players. When things are bad, however, many former players have described it as mentally draining.
The point of all of this is, management needs to be doing anything and everything they can to go above and beyond for players. It not only keeps the ones on the roster happy, but word of mouth gets around and it may be what ends up resulting in a free agent choosing to play in Edmonton in future years.
Uncharacteristic Move from Holland
From certain organizations, hearing how Perlini’s situation was handled may not come as a surprise. For example, Pierre Dorion of the Ottawa Senators has developed a reputation for having poor communication skills, as several players have spoken up about him failing to contact them at all in situations similar to the one Perlini found himself in on Tuesday.
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That isn’t something that Holland is known for, however, as both former and current players seem to have nothing but great things to say about him. Perhaps this was simply just a mistake. If that is the case, you can expect he will relay that message to Perlini, if he hasn’t yet already.
Perlini’s Future in Edmonton Appears Murky
This marks the second time this season that Perlini has been placed on waivers. The first time, he went unclaimed and ended up suiting up for two games with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League before being recalled a week later.
Some Oilers fans have grown to love Perlini, who seems to have a very positive mindset and makes for a great interview as a result. The fact of the matter, however, is that he has just four goals and five points on the season. The argument can be made he hasn’t gotten a fair shake to produce offensively, but he has too often been a nonfactor in the bottom six, and clearly hasn’t impressed the Oilers new head coach in Jay Woodcroft.
If Perlini is able to clear, he will likely once again be assigned to the Condors, and may not be back up with the big club again unless they run into injury troubles. However, his cheap contract, as well as his lightning-fast speed and ability to produce at times in years past, could interest some teams in need of depth scoring.
