When the Edmonton Oilers took the ice against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, veteran winger Ryan Smyth and defenceman Ryan Whitney were healthy scratches.
Due to injuries, Smyth has been filling in as the team's fourth-line pivot and was told when he signed in the summer that he wouldn't play every night to keep him healthy.
However, Whitney was a healthy scratch for the third time in the last five games and showed his frustration to the media when he found out he would be sitting out.
"I'm very frustrated, I want to play," Whitney said. "We got outshot 40-14 and I'm not playing so I think that kind of shows where their thought on me are."
Whitney appears to be unsure of his future in Edmonton and said he wouldn't ask for a trade, but thinks it's a possibility.
"I'm not gonna do that, it's not really my place to say," said Whitney. "I think they'd be looking to do it more so than I would.
"I mean, why would they pay me all this to just not play? I believe I can help a lot of teams. I don't know what else to say. I hope it's here. I like it here."
Oilers GM Steve Tambellini stressed the need for Whitney to find his game again.
"I expect him to play well the next time he is in the lineup," Tambellini said, "We need him."
Whitney is in the final year of a six-year, $24 million contract.
