Two weeks ago, we gave struggling Swedish winger Magnus Paajarvi a wake-up call.
Today, it was the Edmonton Oilers’ turn.
The Oilers announced they’ve assigned Paajarvi to their AHL affiliate in Oklahoma City. The 20-year-old has just three assists in 25 games in his second season with Edmonton, a sophomore slump exacerbated by solid campaigns from fellow Edmonton sophs Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall.
But even if Eberle and Hall weren’t thriving, Paajarvi’s drop-off would still be noteworthy. And by drop-off, I mean fell off a cliff. His numbers are way down from his rookie campaign when he played 80 games, scoring 15 goals and adding 19 assists.
It should be noted that Paajarvi, the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, appears to be taking the demotion in stride. Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini said that Paajarvi “is excited about the opportunity to play more” after being a healthy scratch the last two games.
