Oilers CEO Bob Nicholson apologizes for criticizing Tobias Rieder

Doug MacLean weighs in on the Edmonton Oilers young goaltender, noting that Mikko Koskinen is more focused on footwork and positioning that his allegedly struggling glove hand.

Edmonton Oilers CEO Bob Nicholson apologized for his critical remarks about forward Tobias Rieder made during a season-ticket-holders event Thursday morning.

Nicholson landed in a bit of hot water when he publicly addressed Rieder’s lack of scoring this season and even went so far as to say that, “if Toby Rieder would have scored 10 or 12 goals we’d probably be in the playoffs.”

Here’s the full extent of Nicholson’s comments, courtesy of Bruce McCurdy of The Edmonton Journal:

The Oilers signed Rieder to a one-year contract worth $2 million on July 1 — a deal that was widely regarded as a smart, affordable signing to add scoring depth, especially considering he was coming off a 12-goal, 25-point campaign split between the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings. The 26-year-old hasn’t managed to strike chemistry with the Oilers, however, registering just 11 assists and no goals in 59 games this season.

The team as a whole has struggled to reach its potential all year, currently sitting seven points outside of the playoff picture with a record of 32-34-7.

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