BLOG: Janmark excited to join rising Oilers

EDMONTON, AB- Mattias Janmark's loss back in April would end up being the Oilers gain.
The freshly inked winger learned first hand that Edmonton was a team on the rise after playing the Oilers while still a member of the Vegas Golden Knights late last season. Flashback to April 16th, with the Golden Knights trailing the Oilers in the Pacific Division playoff race by five points with seven games left to play in the regular season.
The surging Oilers squad would easily dispatch of the Golden Knights in the contest, picking up a 4-0 victory for the Roger Place crowd. The pivotal result for Edmonton would, for all intents and purposes, eliminate Vegas from post-season contention.
We all remember what came next, as the Oilers found themselves as one of the final four teams playing for Lord Stanley's Cup, but it was that game in particular that helped sell Janmark on the Oilers as a future destination.
"We (Vegas) were actually playing pretty good at the time and we needed a win in Edmonton. I think we lost 4-0, you could really tell that the team gelled at the right time," Janmark said to Bob Stauffer on Oilers Now on 630 CHED. "They had a really impressive run and I'm excited to be a part of that, hopefully, get better and have another run at it."

A veteran of six NHL seasons, Janmark is the kind of useful player that you can generally pencil in for double-digit goals on a yearly basis. The 29-year-old potted nine with Vegas last year while only playing 67 games. Now with the Oilers, the Swede is looking to elevate his play to or above the level that saw him notch 19 goals with the Dallas Stars in his sophomore season in the NHL.
"I think it's a good opportunity for me as a player. They have really good forwards there and hopefully I can find another level in my game," Janmark said. "Most importantly, it's a team that's trying to win right now. At my stage in my career right now, that's all I'm looking for really. I'm fortunate to come here after they had a really good run. Hopefully, we have another crack at it."
As a winger with an affinity for the defensive side of the game - Janmark has consistently been relied on as a penalty killer throughout his career - there was another benefit of joining the Oilers. The thought of playing with, rather than against, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl was a difficult opportunity to pass up.
"It's going to be nice to be on the other side, I think I can take away some minuses," Janmark joked. "Playing against those guys, you can prepare for it, but there's nothing really you can do. You try to skate with them and try to be on the right side and slow them down, but they're obviously elite and world-class players."

There was already a certain level of familiarity with Janmark as a player and a person within the Oilers organization prior to his signing on July 17. General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Ken Holland was the man who brought Janmark into the league, drafting him to the Detroit Red Wings in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft.
The winger would never play a game for the Red Wings, getting dealt to the Dallas Stars in 2014 in a deal for former Oiler Erik Cole. After scoring 34 goals in his first two seasons in the 'Lone Star State', Janmark would struggle to replicate the same success in his third and fourth seasons, before departing for the Chicago Blackhawks in Free Agency in 2020 for a better situation.
Now Janmark is looking to replicate that successful decision while carving out his niche in a well-stocked Oilers roster.
"I feel like I'm in the same situation as I was two years ago. I came off a disappointing year and signed in Chicago and found another level and gear in my game," Janmark said. "I can see the same in this team, I want to do well early on and I'm sure the opportunity will present itself."