Fansided

Edmonton Oilers offseason outlook Volume #2: Defence

Following the loss on Monday this Oilers squad has a ton of work to do this summer, one thing would be the status of Evan Bouchard

By Justin Lavoie |
2024 Stanley Cup Final - Game Four
2024 Stanley Cup Final - Game Four / Harry How/GettyImages
1 of 2
Next

The big ticket items will be the hot topic this summer prior to July 1st and beyond. Leon Draisaitl is entering the final season of his sweetheart deal and Evan Bouchard is likewise in his final year of the bridge deal he signed, and both are going to be getting substantial raises.

With the recent reports from insider Frank Seravalli suggesting that Leon Draisaitl's camp has indicated they want to sign long termas well as Bouchard's, this storyline is no longer as interesting to me as some others. What does interest me is that as of right now they have a mere seven forwards signed for next season and five defensemen, with 12.4 million dollars in cap space to work with according to spotrac.com.

Now, this is not the end of the world in terms of their long term outlook but, some of Holland's mishandling of the salary cap is going to come back to haunt them next month when it comes time to pay the piper. The potential Bouchard and Draisaitl extensions wouldn't kick in until the following season of course. But at that juncture, McDavid will also be due for a pay raise of his own which will most likely be the biggest contract in the salary cap era.

So what does that mean for next season?

Everybody is free to assess a hockey team in their own way of course, and during Ken Holland's tenure, there have been opinions a-plenty as to why the Oilers have not been able to get over the hump and win a title. When compared to the teams populated by other greats of the game, McDavid and Draisaitl should have at least one championship by now in the eyes of many, I happen to be one of them.

My assessment is not super sexy or controversial, and no I did not think this team needed to add Guentzel at the deadline to augment their depth scoring. Nor do I think they need Saros, Markstrom or any other seemingly available superstar goaltender. This is not to say that adding Guentzel would be a bad thing (more on that later), or that you can't improve your team in every way or any way that you can. But the biggest need it was not.

What this team needs is one to two consistent defenders who don't make mistakes. That's it.

In 2023 prior to the deadline, the Oilers were improving their place in the standings but we're still struggling mightily in two categories. Save percentage and goals against.

The diagnosis was met with a plethora of prescriptions to cure these ailments but none of the most discussed made a ton of sense to me such as getting Erik Karlsson, a better goalie, or more scoring depth. Scoring depth is something you obviously can't have enough of but the concern of not having it in Edmonton has been overblown the last three seasons.

The very glaring issue to me at the time, and has always been a simple tactical weakness this defensive group has not ever been able to execute as a unit, and that is puck watching in their own zone but particularly as the weak side defenseman. This has permeated throughout coaching changes dating back to Todd McLellan in the case of Darnell Nurse which tells us one of two things. Either these coaching staffs are not identifying this kink in need or ironing it out, or they are indeed and the player is unable to execute.

What's most frustrating for myself and Oiler fans alike is that this is a very simple objective that young players are taught early and execute on a regular basis at every level of hockey. The argument that "it's harder to do in the NHL" doesn't hold up either and here's why.

Number one is the obvious fact that many defenders in the NHL do it all the time and effectively, and moreover, the fact the league is the best in the world shouldn't impact your ability to turn yourself around and check the appropriate player you're assigned to.

February 28th of that season Ken Holland traded for Mattias Ekholm who has made a living eliminating opposing forwards with this technique and he fit like a glove as we all know. As a result, just with his minutes alone, the Oilers goals against dramatically decreased and Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell enjoyed better save percentages and more success. They famously went 18-4 down the stretch of that season entering the playoffs. Edmonton would greatly benefit by adding another player like him. Not necessarily to his calibre as that's unrealistic, but someone who plays a responsible and positionally sound defensive brand of hockey specifically in the home plate area around his net.

Darnell Nurse is a great player and in my honest opinion gets a ton of undeserved flak considering the AAV attached to his name, and in turn doesn't get enough credit for the things he does well. One thing he does not do well though is protect the slot as the weak side defender. He is a frequent puck watcher and as opposed to taking the man or the stick impeding the net front player's ability to get a quality shot off, he elects to follow where the puck is and attempts to block the pass.

To me, this is a very amendable bad habit. He is an incredible athlete, tough as nails, and a smart player. He is hyper aware of when it's a good time to jump into the rush and is generally good at making reads with the puck. It's his play without the puck that tends to cost him and his line mates. Pinching isn't a strength of his either...

Cody Ceci is also a common offender of this same phenomenon which is why it's always so puzzling to us that even the new coach Kris Knoblauch will continue to go back to the well with this pairing when all of the statistical and video evidence tells us it does not help, it only hurts.

How does the new management regime solve this problem next season with the cap implications?

The emergence of Philip Broberg this post-season certainly helps. He appears ready to be a full time NHL'er. I would be shocked if he wasn't on their opening night roster. A lot of the success he's enjoying comes from his ability to skate himself out of trouble when he doesn't have a viable passing option, and he tends to make good reads in those situations which ultimately end up in clean and efficient zone exits.

This is a breath of fresh air for this management team and his teammates who undoubtedly love to play with him as this makes their life easier as well. He's also shown glimpses of some pretty impressive acumen in the offensive zone having chipped in for two goals since being reinserted into the lineup one of which was a bullet on Jake Oettinger that beat him clean.

What's more interesting, and perhaps concerning for Ceci, is that he looks comfortable on the right side, his off side. I don't like to call for people's jobs, this is not to cut down Cody Ceci, but this circumstance appears to be laying the groundwork for his exit this off-season. What Broberg's next contract looks like is harder to predict, but my sense is it would be some kind of bridge deal similar to what Bouchard signed albeit a lesser AAV.

So assuming they resign Broberg, and trade out of Ceci's contract, you're still in need of at least one more player on the backend for your opening night roster and we haven't even gotten to the forward situation yet. My assessment is that the Oilers have some interesting internal options to fill out the forward group, therefore their focus should be on acquiring a top 4 defenseman, who both replaces Ceci and fits the Ekholm mould in front of his net to give Knoblauch and Coffey the luxury of two pairings who limit the chances they are currently bleeding when 14 isn't on the ice. There are three examples I would point to, one from each category of available player pools. Internal, free agency, or the trade market, respectively. Done in such an order to indicate most realistic, to least.

1. Max Wanner RHD

Edmonton Oilers v Seattle Kraken
Edmonton Oilers v Seattle Kraken / Alika Jenner/GettyImages

Wanner had an impressive season in the AHL with the affiliate Bakersfield Condors. In 68 games played he tallied 7 goals and 10 assists and finished the season with a +13 rating. He stands at 6'3" and weighs 200lbs and skates well for a big man. Not known for his offensive acumen, but he has actually drawn comparisons to Ekholm for his rugged style of defending and mobility. He protects the front of his net exceptionally well which helped him have a positive 5-on-5 goal share this season against the elites at the American League level. By every measure, he is tracking to become a reliable shutdown defender at the NHL level. It's unlikely that Jeff Jackson and Holland or his replacement will view him as the best option which is sure to be another cup or bust season so his time will likely have to wait. However, I do believe that this is their most viable internal option to fill the void on the right side and it is certainly the easiest transaction to make.

2. Brett Pesce RHD

Carolina Hurricanes v Chicago Blackhawks
Carolina Hurricanes v Chicago Blackhawks / Michael Reaves/GettyImages

It's a difficult contract to fit under the Oilers cap but there is no better option in my evaluation to bolster this defensive unit than Brett Pesce. You have to give up no assets to acquire him and while he is not as tough and rugged as Mattias Ekholm he plays a similar brand of hockey. He is a smart, reliable and mistake free defenseman who brings impeccable habitual play in his own zone. He makes good reads, has very good situational awareness and would immediately stop some of the bleeding on the Nurse pairing. A six man unit that looked like Ekholm/Bouchard, Nurse/Pesce, Kulak/Broberg would be the best unit the Oilers have had in the McDavid/Draisaitl era. Again, the dollars would be very tough to make work given he's due for a raise and is reportedly looking for term. But whoever is at the helm be it Holland or someone else has to seriously consider this player as an option.

3. Zach Whitecloud RHD

Vegas Golden Knights v Edmonton Oilers
Vegas Golden Knights v Edmonton Oilers / Leila Devlin/GettyImages

It's hard to imagine a trade happening between these two rivals in the midst of their cup contention, but I add Whitecloud to this list as a potential trade target option because of the Knights unique circumstances regarding their own highly complicated salary cap situation. Whitecloud provides the look Edmonton needs on their depth chart, a tough and responsible defender who is a capable puck mover. But what makes this option an interesting and viable one has more to do with the Knights and their pressing need to shed cap space. He doesn't come in at a very high AAV (2.75 million per year), but they could desperately use that room to resign players like Jonathan Marchessault and/or Chandler Stephenson who both need new deals and have been integral to their success. This is not the sexiest option and it is unlikely no doubt, but he's 27 years old, comes in at an affordable price for the next four seasons and is a slight upgrade on Cody Ceci. Not to mention cheaper, killing two birds with one stone.

Vincent Desharnais is a player whom I've grown to love along with Oil Country. He made a serious improvement this season, particularly with his puck handling ability and was frequently relied upon in key situations such as the penalty kill and empty net drives to preserve a lead in the dying moments. He doesn't make this list because while it's certain they will talk to him about re-signing, reports indicate he may want to test the open market looking for more money and more term that Edmonton isn't willing to offer him. And while I do really like this player and he is a clear fan favourite, I do think the Oilers would benefit from better skating ability on the right side of their six man unit.

Next. Edmonton Oilers offseason outlook Volume #1: Goaltending. Edmonton Oilers offseason outlook Volume #1: Goaltending. dark

The forward group is an entirely new can of worms we will unpack in another article, in this a three part series of the Edmonton Oilers offseason outlook. The most pressing need in my humble opinion is the same as it was when McDavid was drafted, a need for steady defenders.

In volume #3 we're going to break down the forward situation which is a larger hill to climb in terms of how many roster spots they need to fill. And all of this culminates in what should be an extremely busy off-season for the Oilers.

feed

Next

Schedule