Edmonton Oilers offseason outlook Volume #2: Defence

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

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

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

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.

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.