Connor Clattenburg spent 26 minutes in the penalty box Saturday night. Two fights, a 10-minute misconduct, and enough chippy play to make Coachella Valley want to send him a bill for emotional damages. The Bakersfield Condors won 6-3. Clattenburg didn’t score. He didn’t set up a goal. He did exactly what he’s supposed to do, and that’s the story.
So how seriously should Oilers fans take the 20-year-old fifth-round pick who racks up penalty minutes like they’re going out of style? Seriously enough to pay attention. Not seriously enough to start planning the parade route.
Clattenburg isn’t going to win scoring titles or put up five goals in a season, and he knows it. His game isn’t about putting up points. It’s about being a pest, someone the Oilers haven’t had for a long time. When he was asked about his style after Saturday’s fight-filled performance, his answer was straightforward.
“That’s what’s gonna get me to the next level. I’m going to keep playing that way; nothing is going to stop me.”
Clattenburg knows what he is. The Oilers know what he is. He’s signed to a three-year entry-level deal worth $828,333 per season, which should outline a certain degree of expectation. This isn’t a lottery ticket prospect who might become a top-six forward. This is a player with a defined role who might — might — carve out a spot as an NHL-calibre agitator who can skate, forecheck, and make opponents miserable.
Through 14 AHL games, he has a goal, an assist, nine shots, and 59 penalty minutes. Those numbers aren’t going to light up any highlight reels, but they tell you what kind of hockey he’s playing. In his final OHL season, he put up 35 points in 46 games while racking up 108 penalty minutes. Over his four-year OHL career split between Soo and Flint, he appeared in 138 games with 25 goals, 32 assists, and 251 PIMs. The pattern is consistent: some offensive ability, a motor that doesn’t quit, and a willingness to drop the gloves whenever necessary.
The Oilers haven’t had a player like this in years. They’ve had skill. They’ve had speed. They’ve had two of the best players on the planet in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. What they haven’t had is someone who consistently gets under the other team’s skin, protects teammates, and makes opponents think twice about taking liberties. Zack Kassian used to fill that role. Evander Kane had elements of it. But neither was quite the pure pest Clattenburg is shaping up to be.
Pre-game Stat Pack
9-8-4 | 22 PTS
Here’s the realistic timeline: Clattenburg isn’t making the Oilers this season. He shouldn’t. He moves well for a 6-foot-2, 205-pound tough guy, but there’s work to do. Offensively, he needs refinement. Defensively, he needs reps. The key for him will be toeing the line between effective agitation and taking too many penalties. Saturday’s 26 penalty minutes is entertaining in the AHL. In the NHL, it’s a luxury no team can afford.
But the foundation is there. In his three-game preseason stint this year, the Oilers controlled 77.4 percent of the expected goal share at five-on-five and went up 1-0 in goals. Small sample size? Absolutely. But it’s a glimpse of what he might provide: energy, physicality, and the ability to play a simple, effective game that doesn’t hurt the team.
Clattenburg was the captain of the Flint Firebirds last season, so perhaps there are leadership qualities and maturity beyond just fighting. And that matters a little. Teams need players who understand their role and execute it without complaining. If Clattenburg can develop into a fourth-line NHL player who brings energy, physicality, and the occasional offensive spark, that’s a win for a fifth-round pick.
Oilers Skilled Prospect Is On Fire In AHL
This Oilers prospect is heating up in a big way down in the AHL.
So take him seriously, but keep expectations in check. He’s not a savior. He’s not going to fix the Oilers’ defensive woes or make them a Cup contender by himself. He’s a project with a clear identity who might, in a year or two, give Edmonton something they’ve been missing: a player opponents genuinely dislike playing against.
And in a league where margins are razor-thin and playoff hockey gets nasty, that kind of player matters more than you’d think.
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