Right-handed defensive options for the Edmonton Oilers

With the dust settling after the offer sheet drama surrounding Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg, a new set of questions is emerging across Oil Country. The void left up front from Holloway’s departure certainly has some interesting internal candidates, from Roby Jarventie and Raphael Lavoie to Matthew Savoie and Noah Philp. The Edmonton Oilers have enough options that this should be framed as an exciting opportunity for younger forwards in the Oilers system.

The hole on the blueline requires a bit more imagination, as Broberg and Cody Ceci, two presumptive members of the Oilers top six are now off the team. With the left side still intact, the right side of the Oilers blueline is the primary focus. The Oilers do have some volume of depth, as Ty Emberson, Troy Stecher, and Josh Brown are expected to battle it out for the two spots behind Evan Bouchard on the depth chart.

Still, the Oilers could look to the remaining UFA market to bolster their group. In turn a number of right shot are rumoured to be options. Granted, in September there are not any high impact players left on the market, but the Oilers might be able to supplement their group in some way.

Defining the need

With the Mattias Ekholm and Bouchard likely to stay together, the most basic way to frame the Oilers lineup question is finding partners for Darnell Nurse and Brett Kulak. Deeper still is the framework of the Oilers special teams. Bouchard is the clear top power play option, and both Nurse and Ekholm are capable of operating the second unit.

The top two penalty killers on the right side from last season are gone, with Ceci joining Vincent Desharnais in leaving Edmonton. Emberson, Stecher, and Brown all seem like capable options on the second unit, but are not guarantees in handling the crucial top penalty killing role for a true Stanley Cup contender. On paper, this is the biggest need for the Oilers. Given the quality of the players left on the market, signing a legitimate upgrade in this context is virtually impossible. In other words, while the Oilers might be lacking in this respect, this need might have to be filled via trade or internal development.

It should be noted that Stecher has proven himself a capable top-six defenceman time and time again, bouncing around the league. There are more exciting potential regulars, a fact that has seen teams look elsewhere in past offseasons. Like clockwork, Stecher proves the doubters wrong, slithering into playoff games as he proves to be more substance than style. It is entirely possible that Stecher can handle third pairing minutes effectively this season.

The stretch, on the other hand, is the curious case of Ty Emberson. Forced into the deep end for an overmatched San Jose Sharks team, Emberson had mixed results. Certainly it was not enough support for his rookie seasons, but there is something to work with. The season prior, Oilers Coach Kris Knoblauch coached Emberson, then with the AHL Hartford Wolfpack. There is a sneaky chance that Emberson can surpass expectations, and the familiarity could give him an inside track to a defined role. It is a lot to ask of Emberson, but from certain angles the Oilers might be positioned to get the most from him.

Defensive options

Max Wanner is an impressive prospect, and might well continue the steep developmental curve he has been riding since being drafted by the Oilers. Still, hope for an early arrival as a legitimate NHLer is best saved for at least 2025–26. Phil Kemp is relatively unheralded, but has a much better chance of playing games for the Oilers this coming season. Kemp could be an effective player for the Oilers, but expecting him to beat out Emberson, Stecher, and Brown outright is a steep ask.

There are some potential free agents that might fill this role, but these players might only muddy the waters between the group of Emberson, Stecher, Kemp, and Brown. In other words, an addition of this ilk might only serve to cloud the depth chart, or even worse block Wanner from icetime.

Gustav Lindstrom is a 25-year-old right shot who bounced around the waiver wire last season. He might be an interesting flier in a vacuum, but he might be too similar to the Oilers established depth to make any impact. Mark Giordano has been the oldest player in the league the past two seasons, and despite still being effective is clearly on the decline. Giordano is a left shot, further obscuring a fit on the Oilers.

Other possibilities

What the Oilers can do to bolster their depth on right defence is upgrade their puck moving depth, notably Connor Carrick. Carrick has been limited to an AHL roles the last number of seasons, and should only be thought of as a short term emergency option for the Oilers. There are some clear upgrades available as well, giving some legitimacy to the ongoing rumour mill.

Forefront is former Oiler Tyson Barrie, who was traded to the Nashville Predators as part of the Ekholm deal. At the time Barrie was much maligned, asked to be higher up in the lineup, carrying a sizeable cap hit, and to an extent blocking Bouchard from his rightful place on the top power play. Barrie is already quite liked by the Oilers players, a fact that might make a bigger difference in a depth role, perhaps giving him an edge over players of a similar calibre. He may now be with the Calgary Flames on a PTO but the option for a contract come time for the season remains.

Kevin Shattenkirk is a bit older than Barrie, but was arguably a bit more effective than Barrie was last season. In a vacuum, one might have a slight preference for Shattenkirk over Barrie, but likely not enough to overcome the history between Barrie and the Oilers.

Justin Schultz is a player that fits into this group as well. There is a chance that history works against Schultz, as the defender who was signed as a free agent out of college was traded away during Connor McDavid’s rookie season in 2015–16. This was many moons ago, and might no longer hold any relevance, but Schultz struggled in his final season as an Oiler, as injuries and team quality did him no favours.

The other right shooting puck moving option on the market is Calen Addison. At 24-years-old Addison is the least established of this group, though hopes of latent upside are dimming. Some fans might be tempted to bet on youth and upside, but from afar it does not appear that Addison is on an upward trajectory. While some garish defensive impacts on last season’s San Jose Sharks might be excused, his work with a much more defensively sound Minnesota Wild team does not inspire much confidence. Even with the Sharks lacking on the right side of their blueline they chose not to bring Addison back. However, with him signing a PTO with the Ottawa Senators his availability on the market has gone significantly down.

Finally, there has been rumours that Tony DeAngelo is a potential option for the Oilers. On the ice, DeAngelo is similar to these other offensive options, possessing enough skill to contribute offensively. Like the others, DeAngelo is not a good defender. Off the ice is a bit more complex, as DeAngelo has a long history of troubling behaviour, and has clashed with teammates during his NHL career. 

The Oilers should be careful in adding DeAngelo for this reason, as the team already has a reputation for individuals with questionable reputations. Speculation on whether or not the at makes the potential fit could go either way, as there is a track record. Given that DeAngelo is not a clear upgrade on Shattenkirk, Schultz, or Barrie, and does not have the growth potential of Addison, should be enough to convince the Oilers to steer clear. 

Possible PTOs to sign

Both of Shattenkirk and Schultz should be able to contribute 15 to 18 minutes per game on the Oilers this coming season. There is more for the Oilers to figure out, though. At even strength do any of these three help Kulak or Nurse more than Emberson, Stecher, or Brown would? Can two of Emberson, Stecher, or Brown handle significant penalty minutes?

Signing one Shattenkirk or Schultz to a PTO would give the Oilers the chance to see how their depth coalesces through training camp. The Oilers might choose to play one of Ekholm, Nurse, or Kulak on the right side in penalty killing situations, which would be a necessity of Shattenkirk or Schultz being in the lineup. At the very least, one of the three prospective PTOs could serve as a regular scratch in case the Oilers suffer some injury woes, especially to Bouchard.

All things considered, any truth to rumours that the Oilers are looking into these defencemen is to be seen, but at least it does make sense for them to do so. Ultimately, these players might try to squeeze the Oilers for an outright contract. The higher investment cost might tip the Oilers thoughts in other directions, as there are alternative options.

Trade possibilities

All things considered, any truth to rumours that the Oilers are looking into these defencemen is to be seen, but at least it does make sense. That being said, the better options are available on the trade market. Without much draft capital or cap space the Oilers would likely be forced to navigate this market with some creativity one way or another.

There are some options that are expected to be in trade rumours, namely those on expiring contracts, especially on future focused teams. As such, timing might be a tricky part of the equation here. A higher end option might be Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. Andersson, with two years left on his deal, is far more well-rounded than the offensive UFAs, and is a bonafide top-four option. This would be about as big a move as the Oilers could swing. The Alberta rivals have dealt before, and at opposite ends of their organisational life cycles there might be a fit.

Artem Zub is a player that some fans are hoping for. Zub would be an acquisition of a similar calibre as Andersson, but it is far less likely that the Ottawa Senators would have the appetite to move off of him. The Sens have a discrepancy of left and right shots, going as far as to trade Jakob Chychrun for a package centred around Nick Jensen. Chychrun is the more impactful player in a vacuum, showing how much they value rectifying this disparity. Zub is the Sens best right shooting option, and as a team looking to find more success this season, trading him away seems incongruous with their moves of late.

There are some rumblings about a potential deal with the Nashville Predators. Alexandre Carrier is a good puck moving option, but as he was recently extended by current GM Barry Trotz this might be unlikely. Dante Fabbro is seemingly a more likely option, more in the style of Andersson than the offensive archetype.

Outside of a clear cut answer like Andersson, the Oilers might get aggressive in targeting a younger player, perhaps even counteracting the shuffle that saw them lose both Holloway and Broberg. Conor Timmins is a curious option, currently part of a Leafs regime that did not acquire or sign him, and has struggled to find a spot for him in the lineup. Timmins has been quite injury prone, but the upside is there, as he is probably a better offensive option than any of the right shot UFAs on the market.

If the Oilers goal is to add quality on the right side as opposed to targeting an offensive role player, there will be more options. Many fans will have an affinity for former Oiler Adam Larsson, though he likely figures into the long term plans of the Seattle Kraken. David Savard is a pending UFA, but the Montreal Canadiens might be interested in keeping him around to help mentor the influx of youth on their blueline. In particular, Savard makes an ideal partner for Lane Hutson, and is one of the few right shot options on the team.

Decisions to make

With some franchise altering contract negotiations on the horizon, there are reasons for the Oilers to be aggressive in maximising the present moment. At the very least there will be options at various price points. Even a shrewd waiver claim could be an avenue towards improvement, not to mention some UFAs. This would be a gamble, and the Oilers would have to have faith in their scouting.

The stakes are even higher should the Oilers choose to be more aggressive, targeting a legitimate upgrade. It is very possible that Wanner is involved in bringing back any return of significance, the Oilers moving off of their best chance at a long term internal solution. Dante Fabbro certainly has his supporters, but as a pending UFA who has never averaged 20 minutes of icetime in a season is a risky gamble to spend one of the few useful trade assets the Oilers have.

For now, the Oilers taking their time is a good sign. There have been various types of wrenches thrown into the Oilers offseason, and Jeff Jackson has remained flexible enough to take things in stride.