The Edmonton Oilers placed defenseman Mark Fayne on waivers, the team announced Monday.
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Though he claimed he had a strong offseason and was ready to improve his game, Fayne was injured early on and hasn’t played since. In his absence, Kris Russell and Matthew Benning have proven their NHL worth. By the same token, Brandon Davidson is also ahead of him on the depth chart, making his role on the team minimal.
The 29-year-old blueliner was signed to a hefty contract following the 2013-14 campaign, and was said to solve Edmonton’s defensive woes. However, he has not lived up to his potential; he posted a minus-21 in his first year, as well as a -4.0 relative Corsi.
Fayne did have great shot blocking ability, and sometimes got involved physically. However, he was sluggish and lazy on the back check, which was one attribute that led to his eventual demise.
Despite poor performance, Fayne still kept his spot as a top-four defenseman. Now that general manager Peter Chiarelli has taken over the reins, he is looking for a change in culture. Therefore, Fayne’s prominence in the Oilers’ future plans is diminishing.
It looks like Bakersfield is next up for Fayne, who will likely get decent minutes with the Oilers’ AHL affiliate. Of course, another team can claim him, but that is not too likely.
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