Multiple Oilers called out for refusing assignment from organization

Recently, reports surfaced that suggested Evander Kane refused a conditioning assignment with the Oilers' AHL affiliate team. It looks like there's a few other players who may have done the same.

The Bakersfield Condors are also in the middle of their final push of the season, but last night were missing 11 players - including a few NHL veterans who simply haven't reported to the team.

Condors reporters actually called out the absence of Derek Ryan in particular, and criticizing the Oilers lack of help toward their minor league team.

Travis Dermott and Josh Brown are also notable absences from the Condors, because they're not injuries.

According to Bakerfield sports reporter Mike Griffith, Dermott and Brown have both been absent for over a month for births of their children. That's a very unusually long time for hockey players personal leave for both veterans, and also curious that Ryan never reported at all to Bakersfield.

The Oilers probably had an agreement with the 39 year old Ryan to refuse an AHL assignment for the last few games of his career.

However, some recent comments he made on the locker room environment in the Oilers AHL team make it a curious situation.

All players may have some reason to be sour about being in the AHL, especially Josh Brown after signing a three year contract in Edmonton. Still, as Ryan said, it creates a toxic locker room environment.

If there's not other injury or personal reasons to be holding out NHL veterans, the organization cannot allow them preferential treatment to be away from the team.

It's clear the Oilers need to be pay some more attention to the issues brewing in their AHL system, and They should pay more attention to foster a better culture there.