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Another popular outlet has recognized the strides taken by the Edmonton Oilers as a team with a strong defense corps.
The Oilers have long been viewed as a team with elite forwards that try to outscore their problems. Critiqued as a team that didn't have the horses on the blue line to win or keep the puck out of the net, the narrative seems to be changing.
Analysts from The Athletic and TSN praise the unit for its puck-moving ability and balanced play, making Edmonton’s defense a newfound strength and a major factor in their Stanley Cup contention.
As per Travis Yost of TSN:
"The goaltending can terrify you on any given night but a key reason why the Oilers have emerged as perennial Stanley Cup contenders – OK, setting aside the two-headed monster of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – is a deepening of skill and talent on the blueline. You need puck movers capable of igniting an attack with this collection of forwards, and Edmonton has that in spades – now featuring one of the best trade deadline acquisitions of the 2024-25 season in Jake Walman.
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This comes after a column on June 25th in The Athletic, where Sean Gentille and Dom Luszczszyn ranked the Oilers as the top defensive core in the NHL.
They wrote:
"One of the reasons the Oilers were able to march back to the Stanley Cup Final was a defensive group so deep it was able to survive an injury to Mattias Ekholm, a top-pair star. That was made possible by the addition of Jake Walman, a lower-lineup luxury who gave the Oilers a heavy advantage in easier minutes."
They added that Edmonton boasts a balanced mix of offensive agility and defensive reliability, anchored by Evan Bouchard — a clear franchise defenseman. This position represents a major strength that could be leveraged to address needs elsewhere on the roster.
As for why the Oilers’ defense has suddenly earned top billing in the NHL, it's thanks to a focus on puck-movers and prioritizing skill that can complement stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
From the moment Ekholm arrived, something in this group changed. He felt like the catalyst for a new standard of excellence. He was coming over from a Nashville Predators team that was known for its ability to build and shape blueliners, and the Oilers were ecstatic to land him.
From there, the Oilers have worked hard over the past few seasons to strengthen their blue line, adding smart and well-rounded defensemen like Kulak and Walman, then ensuring they had depth with players like Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher.
Finally, analysts are falling in love with the play of Bouchard, who, while not perfect, is a franchise defenseman with elite offensive skill. He was and is setting records with his play and got rewarded with a new four-year contract worth $10.5 million per season. He's become a legitimate star, even if he's not yet at the level where he's a shoo-in for conversations about the Norris Trophy.
Overall, this blue line blends offensive agility with defensive reliability.
As much as these analysts are starting to love the way Edmonton's blue line is built and how it is trending in the right direction, it's not without its problems.
Darnell Nurse, as solid and effective as he can be, is overpaid. His contract won't look as terrible in a year or two as it has over the past few seasons, but he's making $2-$3 million too much to be considered a strong value contract.
He is also the biggest defenseman on a relatively smaller blue line. Walman and Ekholm aren't tiny, and others will step up when the physicality ramps up, but this is not a group built to go toe to toe with the bigger and stronger rosters who boast heavy defensemen. The Oilers would love to add an imposing defenseman who is a terror to play against.
There isn't much talk of the Oilers looking for a defenseman this off-season. Their focus seems to be on goaltending upgrades or depth up front. Given how highly their blue line is ranking among analysts, it's safe to assume the Oilers feel pretty comfortable with the group they've assembled.
However, as the season rolls along and the trade deadline approaches, GM Stan Bowman might be on the lookout for a player who can compliment the group and adds another physical element, edge, and skill set that puts the Oilers' blue line over the top.
It would be one thing to go into the playoffs with a group already ranked in the top tier. It would be another to enter the post-season with the league's clear-cut No. 1 defense.
If there's an opportunity to deepen this already deep group, Bowman will be prepared to make a move.
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