The Wild Card (Ryan Potulny focused)

Keeping up with the Gopher Obsession theme; here is an interesting article about Ryan Potulny on his chances of making the Edmonton Oilers this fall. Even though Ryan played for the Golden Gophers, this is still newsworthy. Traditionally I pull for WCHA/NCAA players because it gives our league and college hockey credence. While a lot of players in the NHL come from the CHL the college hockey players are making NHL teams at a higher rate than they did in the past. Also, Ryan Potulny is from Grand Forks and there aren't a lot of former NHL hockey players from Grand Forks, ND. Goon's World would like to wish Ryan good luck.

Why Potulny will make the team: Potulny is coming to camp and knows that the only roster spots that are open are perhaps on the 4th line at best, more likely a pressbox seat. Having spoken with him it's clear to me that not only does he understand that but he accepts that if he makes the team, it will be as an energy player. Unlike Brule who to me seemed much more focused on playing a larger role than he did in Columbus (who were not as deep as Edmonton last year let alone this year), Potulny appears ready to accept a llimited role as a utility player and has the experience in that role already.

He's not big but at 6' and 192 lbs, Potulny isn't exactly small either. Of the players I am considering for this series, Potulny is probably the player I see being the least affected by being a healthy scratch for stretches of games.

The Grand Forks North Dakota product says that he's played all three forward positions while growing up through the USHL, NCAA and pro so he's definitely got versatility to play on either wing or down the middle.

As my friend Allan Mitchell pointed out recently at his blog (Lowetide) Potulny is a shooter.