Many people are sleeping on the Edmonton Oilers’ defence, but there’s a real case that this blue line can be much better than it’s getting credit for.
That starts with a new voice behind the bench. Mike Babcock is putting a heavier emphasis on team defence, and if that tighter checking system sticks, Edmonton should bring its goals against down.
The Oilers allowed their most goals since 2018-19, which stands out even more because the year before they were pretty solid defensively. Better goaltending would also help.
With Tristan Jarry healthy and two strong backup options when Frederik Andersen is healthy, the team should get more support there. Babcock’s system should also mean fewer gaps and more forwards getting back to help.
The one possible shortcoming is edge. Edmonton doesn’t look especially intimidating across the board, even if Mattias Ekholm and Connor Murphy are the obvious hard men to handle. Still, Jake Walman and Shakir Mukhamadullin can bring some bite, and Evan Bouchard and Ryan Shea aren’t exactly easy to move around.
Evan Bouchard remains the headliner. He’s already one of the league’s top defencemen, maybe even top five, after leading all blue liners with 95 points last year.
He drives the best power play in NHL history and has that signature “Bouchbomb” in his arsenal. The defensive side can still sharpen up, but the new team-first approach should help.
Babcock has also shown faith in him by naming him an assistant captain, and Bouchard looked more composed and self-assured in preseason interviews.
Mattias Ekholm keeps stacking up eye-popping numbers. Since Edmonton acquired him in a 2023 trade, he has posted plus-115 and 133 points in 147 games.
That plus-minus is the best in the league among defencemen over that span. He has been the perfect partner for Bouchard, with the pair outscoring opponents by 71 goals at five-on-five and putting together a 60 per cent expected goal share.
Some analysts wonder whether age will catch up to him now that he’s 36, but that hasn’t shown up yet. He’s still a top-end defender, a smart offensive player, and a leader.
Jake Walman is another interesting piece. After a down year, a lot of people had written him off, but injuries were part of the picture and he seemed to find his game in the playoffs.
The Toronto native had four assists in six games against the Anaheim Ducks before the run ended quickly. He brings skill in a lot of areas: skating, passing, shot, and physical play.
Not many NHL teams can roll out two defenders who can hammer slapshots over 100 mph, but Walman and Bouchard can. When Walman is going, he can set the tone for the group.
Connor Murphy is the kind of defender coaches trust without hesitation. He’s one of the league’s best at shutting things down, and he’s in ridiculous shape.
Ryan Rishaug reported that in early training camp drills he was barely winded while other defencemen were bent over. Edmonton got him from Chicago at the trade deadline last season, and having him for a full year in the top six should matter.
The numbers back him up too. NHL_Sid wrote in the spring that Murphy’s defensive impact has finished above the 63rd percentile in nine of the last 10 years, and has gone over the 80th percentile multiple times.
In 2025-26, he ranked fourth among all defencemen with an EVD of +9.4.
Ryan Shea is another name to watch. The smooth-skating American broke out in 2026-27 and has turned heads in preseason, with some comparing him to Bouchard.
Both players are calm, intelligent, and bring offensive upside. Shea is only an average skater by NHL defender standards, but he gets around fine.
His 2025-26 line with the Pittsburgh Penguins - 35 points and a plus-30 in 80 games - shows what he can do. In Edmonton, he should begin lower in the lineup and could benefit from softer matchups.
With him on the third pair, the Oilers suddenly have a lot of puck-moving skill on the back end.
Shakir Mukhamadullin is a more under-the-radar addition, but there’s intrigue there too. After Edmonton traded Darnell Nurse this summer, a lot of attention went to the contract relief, while Mukhamadullin slipped by as the return piece.
He’s bigger than many realize, and Babcock has liked what he’s seen. He moves well for his size and gets the puck out quickly.
The next step is adding more consistent physical play, but the upside is there. Spencer Pomoty even speculated that he could grow into a number four defenceman in a couple of years.
That move pushed Ty Emberson down to seventh on the depth chart, but he still looks like a useful bottom-pair option. He plays bigger than his frame, skates well, and was starting to settle in last year. He’s also part of a tight battle for third-pair spots.
The Oilers have more depth beyond that. Spencer Stastney is a similar kind of player to Emberson and makes sense as a call-up option because he’s a good-skating defender who keeps things simple.
Atro Leppanen was one of three new offensive defencemen to stand out in the preseason, and he handled the power play for the Bakersfield Condors while putting together a solid AHL season. Damian Carfagna stepped up as the Condors’ top defender when Leppanen got hurt last year, adding yet another mobile, offence-minded option to the organization.
Tomas Cibulka, who came over from Czechia this year, has also fit in well and looks like another sensible call-up candidate.
So yes, this is very much a “show me” team. If Edmonton’s defence reaches the level it looks capable of, the Oilers could end up surprising a lot of people.
In Other News...
Oilers Trade Search Is Suddenly Focused On A Crucial Center Need
The Oilers search for help down the middle has taken on a very specific shape, with Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman reporting the club is chasing a right-shot centre. Edmonton has been poking around for young, potentially undervalued pieces that could strengthen the roster, and two names that have surfaced are Montreals Kirby Dach and former top prospect Shane Wright, both of whom fit the kind of profile the team appears to be targeting.
What makes the pursuit notable is how thin the depth chart looks at that spot. Edmonton currently has only Owen Michaels, who made the opening-night roster, under contract as a right-shot centre, which helps explain why this has become such a clear area of focus. Whether the Oilers can turn that interest into a move is still unsettled, but the need is obvious enough to keep this search on the front burner. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Face One Big Question In A Potential Shane Wright Pursuit
The Oilers have been searching for more help down the middle, and Shane Wright has naturally surfaced as a name worth watching. The Seattle Kraken center fits the kind of profile Edmonton can use: a right-shot pivot with upside, youth and a role that could theoretically grow in a different situation. The interest, first noted in reporting from Sportsnets Elliott Friedman, also speaks to how the Oilers keep looking for center depth as they weigh what their roster still needs.
Wrights current status makes the idea interesting but complicated, because any move would have to make sense for both teams and for Edmontons long-term asset mix. A deal would not come cheap, and the Oilers would likely have to decide whether they are comfortable parting with a premium young piece while also adding future draft capital to the conversation. Even if the fit on paper is obvious enough to imagine line combinations, the real question is whether Edmonton can find a price that keeps the pursuit from turning into a bigger subtraction than addition. [Read more 🡒]
Max Sasson Just Gave The Canucks A New Option To Watch
The Canucks found a useful new wrinkle in a wild 6-5 overtime win over Edmonton, and it came from a name that has not exactly dominated the spotlight. Max Sasson, a 26-year-old forward, logged significant minutes against Connor McDavid and did more than just survive the assignment. He chipped in a goal and an assist while spending a heavy share of the night in the matchup the Oilers usually force opponents to think twice about.
What stood out most for Vancouver was how the game tilted when Sasson was on the ice for that responsibility. McDavid finished without a shot on goal, and Sasson also helped set up the overtime winner, giving the Canucks a look at a player who can contribute at both ends in a demanding role. For a team that will keep seeing Edmonton, that kind of option is worth remembering. [Read more 🡒]