Edmonton Oilers lose key player as he departs to play in Germany

Markus Niemelainen was selected by the Oilers in round two of the 2016 NHL draft, 63rd overall, meaning there was significant hope he'd become an important player with the Oilers. Things didn't quite go that way, as he played just a total of 43 games in the NHL, 20 of those with Edmonton. He is now headed to Germany to continue his career, as reported by Jim Matheson.

Between the AHL's Condors and Oilers, Niemelainen recorded just one assist to go along with eight penalty minutes in those 43 games, a less-than-inspiring stat line. Many at the time felt that the Oilers were having a really tough time getting much of anything out of their later draft picks, but the team has since changed gears, dedicating more to analytics in an effort to bolster both the NHL and AHL rosters.

The bulk of his professional career has been spent with the Bakersfield Condors in the AHL. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, the expectation was that he'd be a big, physical presence on D, but that never really translated to the NHL. For this reason, he is headed to Germany to see if it can rejuvenate his career once again.

Source: Hockey Latest
Edmonton Oilers defenseman abandons team and signs in Germany

Source: Elite Prospects
Markus Niemelainen Stats