Oesterle showing his worth to Chicago Blackhawks
As Jordan Oesterle sat out game after game most of November, some critics suggested it might be a good idea for the Chicago Blackhawks to place him on waivers.
If he cleared, the defenseman then could get steady playing time in Rockford rather than wasting away in Chicago.
There's a key word in that last sentence, though - if.
Offensive-minded D-men who can play on either side of the ice - and cost just $650,000 - don't grow on trees. There's considerable risk in exposing a player like Oesterle to the entire league.
Sunday against Arizona, Oesterle reminded everyone why he's still on the Hawks when he stepped in with aplomb to play for the injured Cody Franson. He took 7 shots (4 on goal), saw more than 20 minutes of ice time, and recorded an assist on the Hawks' first goal.
"It's obviously impressive the way he handled the puck and played with poise (with) the situation that he's in," said Duncan Keith, who was paired with Oesterle during the Hawks' 3-1 victory.
That situation has included a whopping 25 healthy scratches in 30 games on a team flush with solid blue liners.
"I've been waiting to get out there for a while now," said Oesterle, who hadn't played since Nov. 12. "Just trying to be patient and stay ready."
Franson practiced Monday but isn't 100 percent, so Oesterle should play Tuesday when the Hawks host Florida.
"It looked like (Franson) was in some pain out there, so I'm going to say he's probably out," coach Joel Quenneville said.
Franson (upper-body injury) had just one 11-second shift in the third period of the Hawks' win over Buffalo on Friday. It's not clear when he was hurt.
Oesterle, who was in the Edmonton Oilers' system the past three seasons, signed a two-year, $1.3 million deal in the off-season.
He sees himself as "a fourth forward in the offensive zone" and showed that against the Coyotes when he, John Hayden, Lance Bouma and Tommy Wingels attacked on a 4-on-3 in the third period.
After zooming over the blue line, Oesterle slid the puck to Hayden, and Hayden then quickly backhanded a perfect pass to Wingels. A split second later, Wingels flung the puck to the net to take a 1-0 lead.
"We work on line rushes a lot in practice," Oesterle said. "Coaches harp on us defensemen whenever we're in that five-foot area right inside the blue line to be patient with the puck and hold on to it, and make a good play.
"Their defenseman came too close to me and gave Hayds the middle lane. I was able to slide it by him, and he made a great pass over to Tommy."
Even though Oesterle hasn't seen much game action, he said his comfort level with the team's systems, coaching staff and players has grown since training camp. And playing with Keith is an added bonus.
"It makes it much easier playing with a guy like that," Oesterle said. "He sees things that you can't even think about trying to see. He made my job a lot easier last night, and hopefully we can continue it."
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Scouting report
Blackhawks vs. Florida Panthers at United Center, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
TV: NBCSCH
Radio: WGN 720-AM
The skinny: Florida has dropped four of five, but 2 of those losses came in overtime or shootout. The victory came against 17-8-5 Winnipeg last Thursday. … Vincent Trocheck and Aleksander Barkov lead Florida with 12 and 10 goals, respectively. … Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo is out with a lower-body injury. James Reimer started at Detroit on Monday, so the Hawks may see 27-year-old Harri Sateri, who has never played in the NHL. … Jonathan Toews had a goal and 2 assists, and Corey Crawford made 37 saves in the Hawks' 4-1 win at Florida on Nov. 25. Crawford will start Tuesday. … Richard Panik may be a healthy scratch in favor of Ryan Hartman, who has sat two straight games since Vinnie Hinostroza was called up from Rockford. Asked if they want to get Hartman back in, coach Joel Quenneville said, "Yeah, we do."
Next: Winnipeg Jets at Bell MTS Place, 7 p.m. Thursday
- John Dietz