The Edmonton Oilers have made a bold move by bringing back Paul Coffey to help shore up their defense. With the team struggling on the penalty kill and giving up too many quality chances at 5-on-5, Coffey's legendary presence might be just what they need.
But let's be clear: this isn't just about a new face behind the bench. The Oilers have deeper issues to address.
Currently, the Oilers sit at 25th in the league for both penalty kill efficiency and goals against. Their penalty kill percentage is a concerning 76.9%, and they’re allowing 3.29 goals per game.
They've also given up the sixth-most high-danger shots, with 123 against them. For comparison, the Los Angeles Kings have allowed the fewest at just 76.
To make a serious playoff push, these stats need to change.
The coaching staff has been quick to shuffle the forward lines, but the defensive pairings have remained largely the same. Evan Bouchard with Mattias Ekholm and Darnell Nurse with Jake Walman have been the go-to pairings. It might be time to mix things up.
Nurse Should Play with Bouchard
While Darnell Nurse may not have earned a spot on the top pair through his play alone, pairing him with the team's best defenseman, Evan Bouchard, could elevate his game. In 85:23 of ice time together at 5-on-5, they've been on the ice for eight goals for and only three against, boasting a 72.73 goals-for percentage. Their 30-16 advantage in high-danger chances is impressive, capturing 65.22% of those opportunities.
In contrast, Bouchard has a 56.27% high-danger chance rate with Ekholm, and Nurse has a less impressive 43.18% with Walman. The numbers suggest it's worth giving Nurse and Bouchard a shot together.
Ekholm Should Move to the Third Pair
Injuries and age seem to be catching up with Mattias Ekholm. Reducing his minutes and giving him more sheltered matchups could be beneficial. He remains a capable defender and could thrive in a shutdown role on the third pair.
Pairing Ekholm with Ty Emberson shows promise. In their limited 14:19 together at 5-on-5, they've outscored opponents 3-1 and captured 60% of high-danger chances. Their 61.21 expected goals-for percentage is encouraging, suggesting potential for success with more ice time.
Experiment Spencer Stastney with Walman
This pairing carries some uncertainty, but trying Walman with Spencer Stastney could be worthwhile if the other pairings perform well. Although they've struggled in their 70:01 together at 5-on-5, with only 35% of high-danger chances and being outscored 3-1, they haven’t allowed a high-danger goal. Adding a right-shot defenseman at the trade deadline could be crucial, allowing Walman to shift to his more comfortable left side.
Walman’s performance needs to improve, and with only four games before the trade deadline, this pairing might be temporary. The Oilers need more from him to stabilize their defense.
As the NHL season resumes, the Oilers' blue line adjustments will be key to their success. Keep an eye on how these potential changes play out in the coming weeks.