The Edmonton Oilers Really Need to Figure Defense Out
The Edmonton Oilers caused jaws to drop when young top defending prospect Darnell Nurse was sent back down to Bakersfield, due to the fact that for straight years now, Nurse has been cut from camp. Something has got to give for this kid, but that was not the case for this year.
Should he have really been cut, given the fact that he was by far the best defender at rookie camp and has been training to become a big guy who can take hits as well as stand up for his teammates, while some of the other defensemen are just being flat-out lazy?
However, looking at last night’s 5-2 loss, with a rather silly pairing between Andrew Ference and Nikita Nikitin, is it really that great that the Oilers decided to send Nurse back to the AHL, or should the team have kept him? We take a look at the defensive situation in the 11th hour. Sure, the whole franchise isn’t collapsing because the team lost just one game, becoming 6-1, but we are concerned about the defense.
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First off let me start off by saying this. This team needs to get better defensively, and there is no amount of coaching some of these players that will get them ready in time for the season opener in less than a week’s time. That means that we’re going to have to make some moves. May it be through claiming someone off the waiver wire, the trade route or even just call ups and send downs, this team needs help.
Let’s go through each of the following options, and when we do that, we will see what the Oilers are truly trying to accomplish and how they can get the best defense possible.
Waiver Wire
Ah, the good old waiver wire. I remember the good old days where anyone could go on waivers and be picked up in a second and turned into a good asset for a team. Not so much these days.
For the Oilers, the team needs tow watch for ALL defenders on the wire. May it be the Washington Capitals Zach Sill (I wouldn’t deem him an option for the Oil, however), or another defenseman, the team needs to make a pickup. Something’s got to give. There are quality defenders being offered out there that the team needs to look out for, and just because they aren’t big names or haven’t played many NHL games before does not mean they are crappy defenders.
The point is is that the team cannot ignore some of the defensemen on the waiver wire. An AHL-caliber defender for one team could be a good bottom-pairing defender for another. There are all different kinds of players out there, and each team is looking for something different in each and every one of them. For the Oilers, we are not looking for a goal-scoring defender, let alone an offensive defenseman. We are looking for a more complete defender, or just a stay-at-home man with a big body and some grit. Most importantly, he needs the ability to back check.
Trade Market
The Oilers could always utilize the trade market. I mean, Chiarelli must have a way with words if we were THAT close to trading away Nikita Nikitin in exchange for Bryan Bickell. However, the trade fell through for reasons not known to us, but you know what, it almost happened!
That being said, I think that the Oilers could get away with multiple trade options to bring in higher quality defenders. The Boston Bruins are currently looking for another defender now that Chara is sitting, and what better of an option than to give back Andrew Ference? Sounds nuts, but in Bean town, Ference put up decent numbers. He’s a big name in the organization and around the community, and with the right sound of it, plus the trade option of adding a few prospects to the mix, we could get a quality player in return.
The same goes for Nikitin with the San Jose Sharks, who could give us a great option in exchange for a defender to fill their #6 void. A huge package could also be put together for a team, including one for the St. Louis Blues’ Shattenkirk. Sounds impossible, but anything is possible if the Oilers almost traded a guy like Nikitin for a Stanley Cup Champion.
Pick and Choose
This is the last option. The Oilers can get rid of Ference and Nikitin, and instead, they could give Griffin Reinhart and Eric Gryba their chance to shine. I think this is the most realistic option in the moment, or they could even call Nurse up if they have to. Ference and Nikitin have not been capable of NHL-quality hockey as of late, and this is not acceptable. This team has so much potential, and it is not fair to the team that is trying to bounce back to have one defender who is regressing in his skill set and one defender who is just downright apathetic towards helping out.
The clock’s ticking, let’s make a move.
Next: Nikitin is Too Lazy for NHL Hockey