The Oilers have run into one of those problems every coach says he wants and then secretly hates: too many defensemen who deserve to play.
Right now, Edmonton’s blue line has turned into a real squeeze, with Ty Emberson, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Jake Walman all part of the conversation for ice time. That’s a nice headache for the organization, but it also means somebody is going to be sitting even when healthy.
Walman is the big name in the mix, and that makes the situation especially awkward. He’s in the first year of a seven-year deal carrying a $7-million AAV, and he’s been scratched for a fifth time in seven games. That’s the kind of decision that demands real communication behind the scenes, because no one wants a healthy player parked in the press box for long.
The way forward, at least from the player side, is simple enough: when your number gets called, you have to look like you belong. That starts with being calm on the puck and letting the rest of the game come to you.
Emberson has done exactly that. He’s the steady one, the defender who doesn’t panic and keeps the puck moving with a little deception, using it on the hip to create space and make the first pass cleaner. He’s the kind of player who can survive in a rotation because he stays composed and doesn’t try to do too much.
Mukhamadullin brings a different kind of appeal. He’s also comfortable in simple, sustainable habits, and he always seems ready to receive the puck.
But what really jumps out is how much juice he has when he carries it himself. He can really skate, and there’s a dynamic quality to the way he moves up ice, even if that speed sometimes gets him into trouble, like the moment he won a race to a loose puck before tripping over the blue line because he was moving so fast.
That’s why the Oilers’ current setup feels so tricky. Emberson and Mukhamadullin held down the third pair in another win over New York, and they’ve shown poise and resilience when they’ve played.
But the club also has to think beyond the next game. Walman’s ceiling matters, especially when the games get bigger.
The concern is obvious: Edmonton can’t let Mukhamadullin get pushed into a playoff spotlight without enough regular-season runway. That’s where the tension lies between handling things one day at a time and planning ahead just a little bit. The Oilers have been down a road like this before, when the Nurse-Broberg pairing became a problem in the playoffs and Broberg’s development had already been shaped by the regular-season choices around him.
For now, the most realistic answer is a rotation. Walman needs to keep working with the assistant coaches and skills staff, both on the ice and in the video room, and he’ll have to make the most of his third-pair minutes when he gets them. He’s lost his top-four role to Ryan Shea, so the challenge is to keep things simple and stay ready.
Emberson looks like the same player he’s been: unflappable, durable, and dependable with the puck. Mukhamadullin is still growing. Walman, though, is the one whose best version could matter most when it counts.
You can only control what you can control, and calm seas never make a skilled sailor.
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