TSN is reporting that Marty Reasoner has signed a contract with the Atlanta Thrashers. Reasoner has long been a favourite of mine, a player who entered the league as a high-scoring blue-collar prospect, and had to adapt his game to play a checking role. He's suffered various injuries over his career, and lost a step that he really couldn't afford to lose, but he's still been able to carve out a career as a 3rd/4th line forward, a face-off and PK ace, and a character guy in the dressing room.
Last season, Reasoner was exposed to tough opposition with awful linemates; he sank like a stone and it's hard to imagine that most players wouldn't. He's still a capable 4th line guy, and he fills a needed role in Atlanta (players who know where the defensive zone is) and is the second decent signing (depending on dollars) by Don Waddell this week.
There really wasn't a roster spot for Reasoner on this team; while his defensive awareness and veteran knowledge would have been useful, players like Kyle Brodziak and Marc Pouliot were going to be the ones getting first chance at his spot. With the glut of forwards on the Oilers, Lowe evidently decided to go with youth, and it's a defensible choice. While Reasoner would be an upgrade right now in all likelihood, at least in terms of doing things to help the team win, if not in counting numbers, next year might be a different story.
Still, Reasoner gave it everything he had as an Oiler; he missed out on the '06 run, and now he's going to miss out again as the Oilers turn a corner Still, 5 years from now, it's hard not to picture him getting an offer to work for the organization in some capacity.
To quote Lowetide:
One day not too far in the distance, Marty Reasoner will be waiting by the phone for the call from the Edmonton Oilers and it won't come.
It happened.
6 Comments:
Why not just call him Ol' Yeller?
It'd have been nice to have kept him around, though I guess not exactly prudent, thinking about Brodziak's an Poo's development.
Still, that little voice in your head that goes:
"Oil up by one, late in the 3rd. Horcoff just came off, having played a long shift, 24 minutes for the night.
Who do you put out to take the faceoff?"
That voice is still there.
Still, that little voice in your head that goes:
"Oil up by one, late in the 3rd. Horcoff just came off, having played a long shift, 24 minutes for the night.
Who do you put out to take the faceoff?"
That voice is still there.
This year, the team sends out Pouloit or Brodziak or possibly even Dustin Penner. It's going to cost the team points this year, but at least now we're at the point where we can worry about kids in the 3rd/4th line roles, rather than the 1st/2nd line roles.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
... well, okay.
At least when Horcoff when down last year, we had Stoll and Reasoner to throw to the wolves. This team is in deep trouble if Horcoff gets hurt early. Otherwise, the investment in Brodziak and Pouliot (dare we say Schremp) is as you say defensible. Mr Horcoff, please stay healthy.
Because of the lack of depth in terms of experienced C, I would have liked to have kept Marty around for another year, too. Not that you can blame him for going somewhere he can be a starter, whereas here... who knows? He could have been in the press box a lot.
"No! I want Marty back"
Awww poor MacT.
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