Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Peckham's limited role with Oilers
By Victoria Matiash
Until another blueliner (or two) falls injured, Theo Peckham's role with the Edmonton Oilers appears limited. Joining the 23-man roster as an eighth defenseman after recovering fully from a hip-flexor injury, the physically-imposing blue-liner offers a similar package to that of Mark Fistric.
"We'll just continue to work (Peckham)," said head coach Ralph Krueger (Edmonton Journal), "How many of those types of players do you need in the lineup? And when? If you want two potentially aggressive defensive defensemen, and excellent penalty killers, both Fistric and Peckham would fill that role."
Of course Krueger could opt to play Peckham in lieu of Fistric and Corey Potter and/or one of the Oilers' top-five D-men -- there's little harm in offering a bit of rest here and there during the dense, post-lockout regular season. However, once winger Ryan Jones is ready to return from an eye injury (sometime in February), the Edmonton club may no longer have the luxury of carrying eight blue-liners. And that might not bode well for Peckham.
