Entering his third season with the Edmonton Oilers, soon to be 32-year-old Mattias Janmark is as appreciated as ever across Oilers Country. Thanks to an impressive performance in last season’s playoffs, where Janmark and the Oilers were ever so close to eternal glory, the tide may have turned on public perception of the grinder.
It can be difficult for depth players to stand out in the regular season, but the intensity of the playoffs, as well as a formidable checking line alongside Adam Henrique and Connor Brown, provided a platform for Janmark to show his best. Let’s take a look at what Janmark brings to the ice, and if he might be able to outperform expectations once again.
Career stats
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | ||
| 2009-10 | AIK Jr. | Swe-Jr | 13 | 4 | 7 | 11 | ||
| 2010-11 | AIK Jr. | Swe-Jr | 40 | 11 | 17 | 28 | ||
| 2011-12 | AIK Jr. | Swe-Jr | 40 | 23 | 38 | 61 | ||
| 2011-12 | AIK | SEL | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2012-13 | AIK | SEL | 55 | 14 | 17 | 31 | ||
| 2013-14 | AIK | SweHL | 45 | 18 | 12 | 30 | ||
| 2013-14 | Grand Rapids Griffins | AHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014-15 | Frolunda HC | SweHL | 55 | 13 | 23 | 36 | ||
| 2015-16 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 73 | 15 | 14 | 29 | ||
| 2016-17 | Did Not Play | Ind | Statistics Unavailable | |||||
| 2017-18 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 81 | 19 | 15 | 34 | ||
| 2018-19 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 81 | 6 | 19 | 25 | ||
| 2019-20 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 62 | 6 | 15 | 21 | ||
| 2020-21 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 41 | 10 | 9 | 19 | ||
| 2020-21 | Vegas Golden Knights | NHL | 15 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 2021-22 | Vegas Golden Knights | NHL | 67 | 9 | 16 | 25 | ||
| 2022-23 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 66 | 10 | 15 | 25 | ||
| 2022-23 | Bakersfield Condors | AHL | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2023-24 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 71 | 4 | 8 | 12 | ||
Playing history
After going undrafted in 2011, his first year of eligibility, Janmark would graduate to the SHL. Still, it was not enough for Janmark to be drafted in 2012. In his third year of eligibility Janmark exploded for 31 points in 55 SHL games. Finally it was enough for Janmark to get drafted, going in the third round of the 2013 draft.
Though he was selected by the Detroit Red Wings, Janmark would never play for them. Instead, he was traded to the Dallas Stars at the 2015 trade deadline. In his first year with the Stars, Janmark made quite an impression, scoring 15 goals and 29 points in 73 games. Unfortunately, he would not be able to continue this momentum, missing the entire 2016–17 season with a knee injury. Janmark would return, authoring three more respectable seasons for the Stars and scoring a career high of 19 goals in 2017–18.
Despite the impressive mark, Janmark would regress, shifting from a third line forward to more of a depth role. It was in 2020–21 that Janmark started to become more of a journeyman. After signing with the Chicago Blackhawks he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights that same season.
After two seasons in Vegas, Janmark would sign with the Oilers. While he had been a solid fourth liner, and did play a role on the penalty kill, many across Oilers Country were hoping to see younger players with higher offensive upside in the lineup instead of him. Until Kris Knoblauch took over the Oilers bench the penalty kill had not been a huge strength, which did not help that perception.
Player profile
For his part, Janmark did seem quite displeased with his offensive performance during the 2023–24 regular season. In fact, Janmark even alluded to the playoffs giving him a chance to rewrite the basis of his next contract. Of course, confidence is a big piece of any player’s game, and that mental reset might have been just what the doctor ordered. Still, there is more to Janmark’s rise than that.
On an individual level, Janmark’s traits and style of play make him a likely candidate to succeed in the playoffs. Janmark is not afraid to play the hard, heavy game that coaches always allude to. He makes the effort to start and stop in all situations, initiates contact, goes to crowded areas, and does so with intensity. What’s more is that Janmark is responsible defensively, and smart enough to play all three forward positions even though he is long since a full time centre. It makes a lot of sense that the Golden Knights traded for Janmark, as they famously target many of these traits in the lower half of their lineup.
Janmark has some quality to his puck skills, but hardly enough to rely upon. He will not be driving play or making routine individual plays, but there is at least enough to work with if he plays to his game, sticks to his strengths.
All together there is a picture being painted. On the scoresheet, on analytical charts, and through the eye test Janmark does not seem to stand out. Janmark will not lead the team in expected goals percentage, or fights, or fantasy leagues. Where Janmark does have favour is with coaches, as he inevitably becomes a fixture of the lineup each season, albeit a smaller one. The fact that Janmark holds his own in these facets of the game speaks to a certain quality, a well-roundedness, that should not be taken for granted.
Signed this summer to a three-year, $1.45M cap hit, the Oilers clearly value Janmark’s contributions. Though not the biggest commitment, the term and the 10-team no-trade list are a strong sign that they value Janmark. After his playoff run, they are buying in at a high point. Janmark might never win over the hearts of all fans, and cynics might feel the contract is an overextension for an older, depth player. Can Janmark live up to his deal?
Fit on the lineup
For now, the answer is unequivocally yes. A significant role on the penalty kill means less when the unit itself is weak or average. The Oilers penalty kill unit was foundational to their playoff success, going on a fantastic run to end the season. The group was led by Mark Stuart, who took over at the coaching change, but was said to be a very collaborative effort. Many of the Oilers veteran penalty killers had experiences to draw upon, building each other up.
Central to the penalty kill were also Connor Brown and Adam Henrique. Together with Janmark they formed a formidable checking line that was instrumental in the Oilers playoff success. Time will tell if the trio is reunited for good, but the fact that Janmark showed chemistry and the ability to handle more icetime in crucial moments and against tougher competition is impressive. Any chance at this level of usage or success makes Janmark well worth his cap hit, if not more.
It does make sense that the Janmark-Henrique-Brown line clicked. Brown brings many of the same qualities as Janmark, but is also more comfortable carrying the puck than Janmark is. Henrique is the play driver, consistently winning possession for his team more often than not. The wingers’ skill is enough for Henrique to work with, and together they have a lot of savvy, enough to keep any opponent honest.
There will likely be times that the Oilers are tempted or forced to try out new combinations, but the fact that Janmark can fit into this spot should be enough to satiate his cynics. Age might start to catch up to him, but Janmark has been fairly consistent to this point of his career. While his role has evolved through his career, he has routinely found a way to be useful. It is likely that he will outperform his contract on a whole.
All this said, we shall see how much of Oil Country Janmark has won over. A significant uptick in production should not be expected, as even on a line with Henrique and Brown, Janmark would have the least production. In other words, if the Oilers do make a change to the line, it is most likely that Janmark moves down first. It will not be flashy, but certainly there will be many fans who will always recall Janmark as an under-appreciated depth forward, especially if the team achieves its goal.
