ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- In a move that appears to make little sense, the Manitoba Moose have dropped one of their most productive players.
The AHL team, having just won a 10th straight game to tie a franchise record, have sent winger Mark Derlago back to the ECHL's Bakersfield Condors.
Derlago, a 22-year-old rookie pro from Brandon, has only had five points in his first four games with the Moose, filling in since last week for injured team-leading goalscorer Jason Jaffray on the club's No. 1 offensive line.
Derlago has done nothing to displease the Moose, coach Scott Arniel said before this morning's practice in Rochester. But when they signed him, they had a gentleman's agreement with the Condors -- Arniel wouldn't say exactly what it was -- who are in a life-and-death struggle to make the ECHL's National Conference playoffs.
Bakersfield has five games to go and is tied for the final post-season spot. Derlago will be back in the California city this weekend to play three games.
"He was a perfect fit," Arniel said, asked to explain the news this morning. "He's done everything we needed. This is a bit of a situation where we had an agreement, Zinger (Moose GM Craig Heisinger) had an agreement with the coach in Bakersfield (Marty Raymond), a guy whom he has a good rapport with. It's something that needs to be done to give them an opportunity to get into the playoffs."
Arniel also said that Derlago is not gone for good.
"You'll see him again," he said. "He'll be back next week."
Derlago, however, will miss Moose action Friday night in Rochester and Saturday's key game in Toronto against the first-place Marlies.
For those contests, the coach said he's not yet sure who will graduate to the top line with Brad Moran and Jannik Hansen, who have both been on fire.
He said the choices will likely come down to three players, Pierre-Cedric Labrie, Juraj Simek or Michael Grabner, all rookies like Derlago.
tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca
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