A rumor has begun making the rounds on the message boards lately that Oilers prospect Linus Omark is disgruntled with his situation in the KHL and is looking to bolt to the NHL.
A poster going by the name of "Silent Night" over at HFBoards.com posted a link to this Swedish article in regards to Omark. "Silent Night" then proclaimed "Omark on his way from Russia already" which has some Oiler fans getting excited at the thought of the talented Swede coming to Edmonton this season.
In the Swedish article there is a quote attributed to Edmonton President Kevin Lowe in which the exec apparently outlines that the NHL club is ready and willing to bring Omark in but that the player would have to sort out a release with his KHL club, Dynamo Moscow.
Rather than relying on internet translation sites for clarification I contacted Aftonbladet and asked the writer of the article to tell me what Lowe said, if the agent has gone on the record with a comment and whether Omark has said outright that he wants to leave Russia for Edmonton this year. Here is what I was told:
According to the Russian newspaper Sport-Express, Lowe said:
"We stay in contact with Omark's agent and we keep an eye on his performances in Russia. We know that everything hasn’t worked out perfectly. If he wants to give it a shot here in Edmonton, we’re going to give him that opportunity but first he has to reach an agreement with Dynamo."In regards to the agent:
We talked to Omark's agent (Patrik Aronsson), and he denied that Omark wants to get out of Russia. "They (Omark and Johan Harju) are going to stay in Russia and keep playing and they will not leave during this season."
So you'll have to decide how much credibility you give to what an agent says but on the surface It doesn't sound like Edmonton fans should expect to see Linus Omark in an Oiler uniform during 2009-10. Even if he did come over tomorrow, wouldn't it be more realistic to see the diminutive Swede begin the year in the AHL?I also tried to contact the Oilers for a comment in regards to this today but sources I was able to reach (travel day) said they had not heard anything from Omark's agent in regards to any desire to leave Dynamo for Edmonton this year.
I will update again if I learn anything more.
4 comments:
Wow, this is interesting, although I'm afraid the last thing the Oilers need right now is another diminutive forward in their lineup. IF he can get released from his contract then his only option will be a 2-way deal and straight to the AHL.
While I haven't really been following the Omark story all that closely, I appreciate you bringing some clarity to these rumblings.
It's this kind of thing that keeps this blog on so many favorites lists among Oiler fans.
I agree with misfit, how come no one else has even mentioned this except Dean and Guy? Does the MSM think we dont care about stuff like this??
great job going the extra distance and contacting frickin Sweden to find out more info! this is as daily read for me from now on!
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