Oilers’ Omark set to make impression
Swedish forward played on Oilers’ second line in Thursday’s game
Linus Omark finessed his way into the core of the Edmonton Oilers fandom long before the 2011-12 NHL season was underway.
The Youtube sensation won over his following with highlight-reel goals, but hasn’t been able to win a spot among the Oilers’ top six forwards.
Half of those spots were swallowed up by rookie Ryan Nugent-hopkins, along with sophomores Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, early this season. Then five-year veteran Sam Gagner returned from an ankle injury and Omark was handed a ticket to the Oklahoma City Barons in the American Hockey League.
In November, Omark broke his ankle.
Fast forward to Thursday. Omark, who was recalled by the Oilers last weekend, was sent out to play on the second line alongside Gagner and Ales Hemsky in a 5-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
The winger responded with the first goal and point of his abbreviated NHL season — a wrist shot in the second period that pulled the Oilers into a 2-2 tie — and played a total of 18 minutes and 17 seconds, including some power-play time on the second unit.
“Of course I want to play a lot, but I’m happy to be here and I need to do my best to get the opportunity to play more,” Omark said. “Even if I play five minutes, I have to do my best and try to do something to get up to big minutes.”
On Thursday, he also wanted to play physical and tied defenceman Theo Peckham with a team-high three hits.
“But when I’m in the top two (lines), I want to score more to help the team win,” said Omark, who should get another chance to show his stuff Saturday when the Oilers take on the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center.
“I tried to work hard on every shift. That’s what I have to do.”
Omark had a fourth-line role in Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks in his first NHL game since Oct. 20. He logged just 10:16.
The 25-year-old Swede played 51 games, scored five goals and 22 assists, and showed off a dazzling spin move in a shootout against the Tampa Bay Lightning during his rookie season in 2010-11.
This time around, he played only five games with the Oilers before he was assigned to the AHL and then suffered his first long-term injury.
“It was tough in the beginning,” he said. “Almost right after I got sent down I got hurt. But I went back home to Sweden and I am happy they let me go. I couldn’t do anything anyway, I was in a cast.”
Omark went back to the AHL when he was ready to play again, which was noteworthy because the outspoken forward has made it clear in the past that he wasn’t prepared to be a career AHLER.
“My goal since I left Europe was that I would play in the NHL,” said the Oilers’ 2007 fourth-round draft pick. “I’m not quitting.
“All I can do now is prove that I can play in his league. What’s happened is in the past. I want to play with the Oilers. I love it here. I like my teammates. It’s a good organization, but I do want to play in the NHL.”
Omark is on the Barons’ playoff roster, so the Oilers will send him back to the AHL at the end of the regular season. If the Oilers were to send him down before the end of their season, he would have to clear waivers once he has played two more NHL games.
However, Omark is a restricted free agent at season’s end, so the Oilers need to determine if he fits into next season’s team, or if he is an asset they could move. Edmonton would have to offer him a 10-per-cent increase on his $875,000 NHL contract to retain his rights.
Omark is currently on a two-year, two-way contract with a $65,000 AHL hit.