Oilers send Rob Schremp to the AHL

Now, that was unexpected.

Rookie phenom, 20-year old Robbie Schremp missed the penultimate cut as the Oilers trimmed the roster to 26 players. Schremp (and six other players) was sent down to one of the AHL teams that the Oilers will dispatch players to (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins). Last season he was outrighted to London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. This year, he has climbed a step further but still did not make the big club.

I'm asking why.

The Oilers are stocked at center pretty well one through three with Shawn Horcoff, newly-acquired Petr Sykora and Jaret Stoll. But pulling a Phil Kessel and planting Schremp at left wing on a second line would not be all too difficult to make, really. Who would he have to beat for the spot? Raffi Torres? The guy who could as well tough in out as scoring third liner while Robbie gets some much needed expierience with Sykora?

Well, I guess Craig MacTavish must have chosen a different route to develop young player s than Dave Lewis in Boston. Rather than let them work on their flaws (which prospects are bound to have) in the AHL:

"The guys we sent to the minors today have some work left to do on their games before they get to this level. I wanted to make that clear to all of them."

Lewis chose to polish diamonds in the rough such as Kessel up there with the big boys. I wonder which one of the two makes more impact first?