He's been traded to the Buffalo Sabres for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2014 NHL draft. Omark has eight goals and 22 assists so far in 66 NHL games. He had asked Oilers GM Craig MacTavish to trade him, according to a Swedish newspaper. He has only appeared in one game for the Oilers this season and has 29 points in 29 games for their AHL affiliate, the Oklahoma City Barons. This was the last move before the Christmas roster freeze.
I understand Omark's decision this. I think he feels that he should be more of an NHL star and to play more games at that level because of how well he plays, particularly in the shootout. But the Oilers already have too many left wingers and MacTavish hasn't been able to bring him up because of that. The thing is, you have to be good and able to make a difference to play in the NHL. I'm not sure Linus Omark is that kind of player. So now he goes off to Buffalo, where they're in rebuilding mode. I'm not sure this suits Omark just well because of that, but at least he'll be able to play some games and Pat LaFontaine can figure out whether he can be a future player for this team. As for the Oilers, it doesn't make much of a difference for them. He's been in the AHL and they weren't using him. Might as well ship him off and get something valuable in return.
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