Sunday, August 28, 2011

Could Pitlick be back for another season?

I have been hearing some chatter about the remote possibility of Tyler Pitlick being sent back to junior for another season.

The Oilers camp will be packed with prospects this year, and Pitlick might be behind a few players on the depth charts. He missed most of the Oilers development camp in the off-season because his ankle wasn't fully healed.

This years Oilers training camp will be their ultimate evaluation on prospects but if he stays behind a few players on the depth charts their is a small chance that the Tigers just might get a Huge bonus for this upcoming season.

IMO Pitlick is good enough for the ahl, and in normal circumstances he would be playing their this year. However, with the Oilers packed prospect in training camp it begs the question of whether to send him back and watch him play huge minutes back in juniors. (He only played 58 games last year due to his injuries/suspensions), or watch him get his feet wet in the ahl.

The Tigers graduated Wacey Hamilton last year and its almost certain Linden Vey will stick in the Kings systems, but if Pitlick came back he would probably slot on to be the Tigers #1 centerman.

Right now its a fools hope to think he will be back, however its not out of the realm of possibility, as we saw a similar situation with Thomas Kundratek a couple years ago with the New York Rangers.

For a good read on his situation visit check out these 2 Oiler Blogs:

http://lowetide.blogspot.com/2011/08/eta-pitlick.html
http://www.coppernblue.com/

1 comment:

Bar Qu said...

It seems to be the opinion of some more informed fans of the Oilers that Pitlick would be best served to either spend a season ripping it up in the Hat or in the AHL. I personally feel he would be better off in the AHL, but it would help the Oilers contract situation if he went back to jr.