Edmonton Oilers: The Back End

A couple of days ago, I gave my projection for the Forward Line up for the Edmonton Oilers.

There were a couple contested spots on the roster, namely that second line right wing slot between Purcell and Yakupov. I also had Draisaitl as an extra, although he could very well be playing on the third line this season as a Left Wing.

If the Forwards had some serious contention, the defense is even more open. As of now, I can count ten possible defenseman who could end up playing for the Edmonton Oilers. Without further ado, here’s my projection for the defense.

First Pairing

Sekera–Fayne

Reasoning: I already wrote earlier this summer about what Sekera will bring to the Oilers. He’s a legitimate top pairing guy although some debate if he’s a true number one defenseman. He will get that chance with the Edmonton Oilers with ample power play time. Probably the second best acquisition this summer behind that McDavid kid. My only concern with Sekera is that he’s a bit injury prone; has not played a full NHL season with his closest being in 2010-11 with the Sabres playing in 76 games.

Mark Fayne is a surprising pick and recently there was an article by David Staples that Mark Fayne is the worst Oilers contract. I respectively disagree. Staples argues that Fayne does not bring much physicality (which was also a flaw to other solid defensemen ran out of town like Petry and to a lesser extent, Gilbert) to his game and that he struggles with the puck. I am one of those guys who believes he will find his way with Sekera and finds some chemistry like he did with Andy Greene in New Jersey, where he and Greene were a solid, not spectacular first pairing. It is also worth noting that of all the Edmonton Defenseman last season, Fayne had the toughest competition and rarely started in the offensive zone.

Once again, it would of been awesome to have a Sekera-Petry Combination. Sigh.

Second Pairing

Klefbom–Schultz

Of the sad sack of Oilers defensemen last year, Oscar Klefbom was easily our best defenseman not named Jeff Petry. He had an incredibly impressive rookie outing and there are some concerns of regression. However, I think with the addition of Sekera, Klefbom slides into the second pairing and faces easier competition. In terms of possession stats, Klefbom was solid: the puck was often in the other end than not while he faced easier competition and more offensive zone starts.

Surprisingly, Justin Schultz is similar in the fancy stats chart usage where he faced even less competition and more offensive zone starts. Schultz was incredibly sheletered last year and he has his flaws. At this point, it’s a do or die season for him where, at the risk of sounding overdramatic, I could see the Oilers walking away or cutting ties if there is not some tangible improvement. However, Klefbom and Schultz had some good chemistry and I think they will be better off as a second pairing than a first pairing.

Also Travis Yost of TSN wrote an interesting post on Schultz which is worth a read.

Third Pairing

Nikitin*-Gryba

Please note the asterisk next beside Nikitin’s name because that is probably the most contested spot on the Edmonton Oilers roster. Easily. In that spot alone, you have at least three other players competing for that third pairing left slot, which I will talk about below. Like it or not, I think Nikitin will get some playing time simply due to that ghastly contract. Is he worth the 4.5 million dollars? Not based on last season. I do not think Nikitin will be back next year barring a miracle: I think he plays to boost his value and hopefully the Oilers get an asset out of him. Not only was he subpar last season, he also faced a nagging back injury. Good ol Lowetide had a post about Nikitin in his RE series which again, is recommended reading.

Gryba is pretty easy to slot in the 3rd pairing right spot. He’s basically a number six defenseman and there’s nothing wrong with that. He was better in his own end last year but has limited offensive skills. It helps that he is a right shot.

The Extras

Andrew Ference: The Oilers captain is in contention for spot duty between the 3rd pairing and the press box sadly. He’s slowing down which is a shame because he’s a warrior out there. I dislike the talk of removing his captaincy personally because I think he’s a fine captain, although I do understand why people would want that due to pressbox duties.

Brandon Davidson: What a success story Brandon Davidson has become. Not only has he moved up considerably up the Prospect Depth Chart as a sixth round pick in 2010, but he has also battled cancer as well. He’s an outstanding young man and while he will most likely never be an NHL all star, it’s great that he’s contending for a roster spot. Due to contract status and waivers, I think Davidson is the favorite for the 7th man spot. He played well last season in my eyes and is an upgrade over Keith Aulie.

Darnell Nurse: My goodness, is it ever going to be down right difficult for him to stay off the opening night roster. Another contender for the Nikitin spot, Nurse has really matured over the course of a season. He earned a World Junior Gold and was (in a biased way) the best defenceman for Team Canada. Even scarier is his size and speed: Nurse weighed in at 213 during the development camp in July and the main part that stands out is his speed. He’s downright fast and for a guy that size, it’s definitely exciting. He is one of two players that could either be on the team or being on the first pair in Bakersfield. I think either is a win-win. There’s no need to rush Nurse but if he’s ready to play, he’s ready to play.

Griffin Reinhart: Another player I did a review on earlier this summer, Reinhart is simliar to Nurse in that he’s either going to be on the third pairing or join Nurse on the top pairing in the AHL. With Reinhart, patience is required. He’s only 21 years old and just finished his first professional season, with the majority in the AHL, posting 22 points in 59 games. It’s surprising how quickly Islanders seemingly turned on Reinhart in less than a year and I think he was a victim of the acquisitions made by Snow last year. Even though he’s a former fourth overall pick, there’s plenty of room to grow with Reinhart. I believe he’s slightly more NHL ready than Nurse but it’s a toss up. He has great size and is a very smart player.

Conclusion

It’s definitely going to be a battle for the third pairing. I personally have Nikitin there but it’s not by his stellar play but more for readying the younger players like Reinhart and Nurse. I think Fayne clicks with Sekera and Klefbom keeps the pace from his rookie year. I’m also hoping that Schultz will be well better than he was last year.

It’s a core that’s definitely in the bottom third of the league and lacks some experience but there’s some potential there with Klefbom, Nurse and Reinhart. Unfortunately, Potential means more waiting but I feel like it will be worth it.

Next: Edmonton Oilers: How to Shake Off The Past Nine Years

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