People love hockey for many different reasons, whether it’s the fights or the goal scoring. Many also love the selfless nature of the players too. So when a player says something a little out of the norm, it turns a lot of heads. Oscar Klefbom is the most recent player to make comments that are raising eyebrows around the league.
Talked with Klefbom who likes the Larsson-trade: "Hall never played his best games against the tough teams": https://t.co/atq2ebaJHE #Oilers
— Ola Winther (@OlaWinther) July 31, 2016
Klefbom, a former first-round pick of the Oilers back in 2011, has only made the club in a full time capacity two seasons ago. His comments are more than a little bit odd.
Here is the full quote when asked about the Larsson and Hall trade, translated from Google, courtesy of Hockey Sveriege:
“At the same time, I understand the reactions. Taylor has been our best player in recent years, but it’s also hard to tell what he has contributed. He never played his best games against the tougher teams, which we really needed it. However, he was fantastic when we met the little inferior teams. Now it is simply up to other promising forwards who McDavid and Draisaitl to tap-dance up and prove themselves even more. It will be exciting to see.”
The interview which is from a Swedish website may have been pandering to his fellow countryman Larsson, but nonetheless this is not something you want out in the press.
Interestingly, he tried clarifying his remarks in a follow up interview with Ola Winther of HockeySvierge and had this to say:
“All of our key players underperformed, including myself. Not only Taylor Hall.”
Uh, yeah sure. At this point he should stop talking.
18 of Taylor Hall's 26 goals last season came against playoff teams.
— Adam Gretz (@AGretz) July 31, 2016
Funny enough, it doesn’t sound like the comments made about Hall are based in fact either. The Oilers keep digging themselves into holes. Will they ever get out of the basement of the league?
