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Ryan Jones out four weeks with torn MCL

You have to feel for Ryan Jones.

Placed on the waiver wire by the Nashville Predators last week, he was picked up by the Edmonton Oilers in what is undoubtably the best move they made at the trade deadline. Jones is a player who would bring some spark, energy and some scoring ability to an Oilers team that is struggling to rebuild.

In just his second game with the Oilers, Jones was struck by a knee-on-knee hit by Minnesota’s Derek Boogaard. There was a two-game suspension handed down, but now we learn that Jones will be out at least four weeks with a second-degree tear of the MCL in his right knee.

“One guy loses two games, one guy is going to lose four weeks. That seems fair,” said Edmonton head coach Pat Quinn, who has seen far too many players go down this season.

“I hope (Jones) gets a chance to come back. He’s a robust, honest, workmanlike player that you really like to have in your lineup,” said Quinn of Jones, the former Nashville Predator who had been claimed off the waiver wire on trade deadline day.

Here’s the other issue regarding these hits: some feel the punishment should match the injury received. That’s absurd; if an elbow to the head leaves one guy unconscious and taken off the ice on a stretcher, while the another elbow to the head just causes a slight headache and a fight, is the one any worse than the other? It’s still an elbow to the head and it’s still an exceptionally dangerous play. They should all be punished the same, no matter what the injury might be.

I know that’s not exactly the popular opinion but you cannot punish based on the ensuing injury alone; hence the need for standardized punishment.