The Disappointing Gunnar Odinsson - Veteran Presence

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It seems like the declaration of Odinsson as a veteran is a little premature, yet here it is, three seasons have come and gone since he was drafted by the Helsinki Titans in S76 and started his VHL career. It hasn’t exactly been a smooth journey for the young Norwegian with established hockey pedigree, with the dream of being a one club player shattered by a mix of circumstances that has seen him traded from the Titans to the Toronto Legion and eventually this season to the Calgary Wranglers.

Not much was said after his move from the Legion to Calgary, but it is believed that he was and to some extent, still is, disappointed with the way his desire to move to Free Agency was handled by the front office in Toronto. Hoping to test free agency clear of any sense of “repayment” to a team, he finds himself struggling with the decision to either recommit to Calgary or indeed see what another team might offer at this stage of his career. It is rumored that he is strongly considering rejecting an extension from the Wranglers, simply to deny Toronto another second round draft pick that would be triggered by such an extension. Yes, he’s become that petty over the trade by the Legion although it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who’s had dealings with his agent in the past.

 

Back to the subject of a “Veteran Presence” though. While Odinsson has been here since S75 when he was selected by the San Diego Marlins in the VHLM draft, it might be argued that he hasn’t offered much to any team that he’s been a part of. Well, not statistically speaking anyway. His season’s best point total is 70 when he was with Toronto in S77 and ever since, he has declined to the point where he wonders if it’s even worth it to try and resurrect his career with a fourth VHL franchise this off-season.

While he is now considered a veteran, with enough TPE to make a difference to a roster at some point, will any team even want to add his presence to their locker room and risk the chance to disrupt developing team chemistry among the current playing group? Who knows? It will be a brave GM to take that chance. Off the ice however, Odinsson tries to contribute wherever and whenever he can, as seen when he joined the Legion and subsequently purchased team GFX via his agent for the entire roster, to be used for the next season team lineup announcement. His presence in the locker room is undeniable, but if it’s a positive or negative influence, only rival GM’s and players can answer that question.

 

Odinsson himself thinks that the idea of a veteran player on the roster is a good one. The chance to mentor and guide younger players, discuss tactics, lineups and possible roster moves and trades are all benefits to a team that may need that type of assistance and they are all aspects of the VHL that Gunnar Odinsson is willing to provide if a team thinks that is something they might be interested in. If not, it’s been a short, unsuccessful and obviously frustrating career so far. If it ends now, it’s doubtful anyone would even notice.

 

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