Much like how the Edmonton Oilers forward group performed in 2025-26, the Oilers defensive group was not much better. If anything, it was worse.
It was also the group that saw the least turnover year-to-year with the only change of consequence being when general manager Stan Bowman made a midseason move. The club sent longtime Oilers and hometown player Brett Kulak to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry.
He then sent a third round selection in 2027, the same one holding the club from submitting a big offersheet to the Nashville Predators for Spencer Stastney. More on how this worked out later but that was the one big change.
Oilers stagnant defence
However, the club did see multiple big commitments over last offseason to further cement their defensive group going forward, a move that less than a year out seems questionable. The club inked bona fide number one defenceman Evan Bouchard to a four-year contract extension carrying a $10.5 million annual average value.
Additionally, Bowman re-signed stabilizing veteran defender and Bouchard's right (left?) hand man, Mattias Ekholm for three more seasons at a modest $4 million AAV, a $2 million a year pay-cut, locking him up until he is 39 years old. While 2025 trade deadline acquisition, Jake Walman received a big payday, inking a seven-year contract extension worth $7 million AAV.
In a vacuum, these moves are not bad but the Oilers as a team, did not have a great season defensively. At 5-on-5, the club ranked 10th in terms of corsi against per 60 minutes, while also sitting 14th in expected goals against per 60 minutes according to evolving-hockey.com.
Oilers top pair
For the Oilers, there is almost no argument about which two players make up the team's top pairing. Logging over 1200 minutes together and playing together all 82 games according to Moneypuck.com, Ekholm and Bouchard.
Together, they were a strong pair as always, creating the classic duo of an elite offensive defenceman and a stabilizing stay-at-home type. They played against elite competition on a consistent basis and won their minutes handily, finishing with a 57% xGF percentage.
Individually, Bouchard blossomed into a true star, leading all NHL defencemen in points with 95 and assists with 74. Despite his incredible season, he was snubbed for the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenceman and was not even named a finalist for the award.
His absence is likely due to a number of factors from being labelled a defensive liability to him being a product of playing with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. These arguments in actuality do not hold a lot of merit, especially with Bouchard topping all Oilers defencemen in penalty kill time. Regardless, if he can continue playing at this level, he will surely wrap up his career at the very least as a finalist for the prestigious award.
His partner, the 36 year old Ekholm provides a lot of value as a defensive option and did so this season. He hovered around similar production that he has in the past, scoring 41 points (six goals, 35 assists) in 82 games while providing sound defensive results. He saw a slight dip in average ice time this season, trending down to below 21 minutes, likely as a method of load management.
Oilers second pair
The Oilers second pair saw a lot of different variations throughout the year but the pair at the end of the season was mostly composed of the much maligned Darnell Nurse, playing with trade deadline acquisition, Connor Murphy. Much like the first pairing, this duo had elements of the puck-moving defenceman and their babysitter, the shutdown defenceman.
The 31 year old Nurse receives a lot of backlash, rightly or wrongly, in large part due to his enormous caphit at $9.25 million. This season saw a noticeable drop in production, his lowest totals since 2017-18, with Nurse scoring just seven goals and 17 assists for 24 points in 82 games. Despite this, he is a strong skater with puck moving abilities who can provide value in a top-four.
Murphy is 33 years old and was a rental at the deadline, acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks as an expiring UFA. He was a stabilizing figure on the Oilers backend, logging over 20 minutes a night, playing big matchups and featuring prominently on the PK. His four points in 20 games with the Oilers was a cherry on top but he will surely be welcomed back and if he can stay healthy -- which has been a problem for him -- he could be a big piece of the backend.
As a pairing, Nurse and Murphy played very well together and despite Nurse being heavily involved in trade rumours, this matchup makes the most sense to keep together next year if they are both back.
The bottom four
Athough there was a pretty clear bottom pairing down the stretch, with Walman and Ty Emberson taking most of the minutes, there were two other defenceman who spent a considerable amount of time in an Oilers jersey this year. The aforementioned Stastney and blueline depth piece, Alec Regula.
As a pairing, Walman and Emberson were strong. In the postseason, they were the only pairing that broke even in terms of expected goals percentage. In the regular season, they saw mixed results. Overall, it is an itneresting grouping but with Walman's caphit, he should not be a third pairing defender going forward.
From here, I will talk about the remaining four on an individual basis:
Walman had an undeniably disappointing year, especially following up such a massive extension, it is clear that the Oilers brass had hopes in making him a core member of the blueline moving forward. He was sidelined for nearly two months during the season but even when he was playing, he struggled to find his footing. He played 53 games this season and was relatively productive with eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points. However, all year it was clear that head coach Kris Knoblauch struggled to find a proper fit with him in the lineup. The club is likely handcuffed with his contract regardless so it will be imperative that they find a proper fit with him in the lineup.
Emberson is just 26 years old and has been a strong bottom pair defenceman for the Oilers, playing a responsible shutdown role for the club. As a result, his 12 points in 72 games is not an eye-popping stat but him ranking amongst the bottom three in both CA/60 and xGA/60 are encouraging. He played just over 15 minutes a game and according to hockey-reference.com, he amassed over 100 hits and 100 blocked shots. He played well in his role and at just $1.3 million AAV, he is well worth his contract.
Stastney was a midseason acquisition and at just 26 years old, he has shown some promise in his career and even with the Oilers. Despite his incredibly unlucky scoring with only one goal in 36 games, he was able to win his minutes with Emberson and provided some positive shot generation and expected goals impacts. He did not have a great season overall but he still shows some potential and as a restricted free agent, he should be brought back again.
FInally, Alec Regula is 25 years old and filled his role as a seventh/depth defender admirably playing in 29 games this season. Regula played primarily alongside Nurse and together, they formed a strong pair winning their minutes with an expected goals percentage of 52.2. He fills a similar role to Emberson as a physical defenceman who is not afraid to sacrifice the body.
Grading the Oilers defencemen in 2025-26
Evan Bouchard: A+
Mattias Ekholm: A
Darnell Nurse: C-
Connor Murphy: B+
Jake Walman: C
Spencer Stastney: C-
Ty Emberson: B
Alec Regula: C+
Overall, the Oilers blueline was a mixed bag. The team as a whole posted disappointing defensive results but with standout performances from Bouchard along with some reliable and steady play from Ekholm, Murphy, and Emberson, the team was able to hover around the top-half of the league by most metrics.
Going forward, the Oilers may be able to free up cap space if they do ship out Nurse and if Walman can find his groove, he will help to form a strong top-four. The defensive core as a whole has a decent mix of offensive and defensive skill with multiple puckmovers and strong, steady defensive defenders.
This summer, I would expect Bowman to be active in upgrading his blueline, especially after the club took a step back this past year.
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