According to Chris Johnston of The Athletic on Wednesday, Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Erne has passed waivers and may now report to the American Hockey League’s Bakersfield Condors.
In order for the Oilers to have the salary cap space needed to add Sam Gagner to the active roster and give him a $775k one-year contract, Erne was placed on waivers on Tuesday.
Similar to Gagner, Erne was invited to the Oilers’ training camp as a professional tryout. Shortly after the regular season began, he signed a one-year contract worth $775k. He scored two goals and four points in six preseason games.
Erne has dressed for six of Edmonton’s nine games this year, but he hasn’t made much of an impact. With just 8:19 minutes played per game, he is without a goal or an assist. His season-high 13:06 came during the team’s lopsided victory over the Nashville Predators.
The Oilers are hoping that Gagner can provide more depth scoring than Erne. Before an injury ended Gagner’s season with the Winnipeg Jets the previous year, he finished with eight goals and fourteen points in 48 games. Gagner performed admirably in the AHL, scoring one goal and five points in three games with the Condors despite not playing for the Oilers in the preseason.
Erne, in the meantime, is going to Bakersfield to join the group of forwards vying for a spot on the big-league team. James Hamblin and Lane Pederson have made contributions, but top prospect Raphael Lavoie is leading the charge with seven points and 17 penalty minutes through five games for themselves as fourth-line options well.
The Tampa Bay Lightning chose Erne with the 33rd overall pick in the 2013 draught. He bounced about the Lightning and its AHL affiliate for a few seasons before being transferred to the Detroit Red Wings ahead of the 2019–20 campaign. This was one of the first transactions made by new GM Steve Yzerman, who succeeded Ken Holland.
Erne collected five points in nine games with the Grand Rapids Gryphons of the AHL and eight goals and eighteen points across 61 games with the Red Wings last season.
Leave a Reply