It’s been an area of discussion for years among Oilers fans, and it’s been an area of concern for Oilers management for years as well. The Oilers blue-line has been in shambles since the day Chris Pronger left the team in the summer of 2006. A group that included Pronger, Jason Smith, Steve Staios, Jaroslav Spacek, Matt Greene, Marc-Andre Bergeron and many others was the last good Oilers defensive group.
Since then, the Oilers have had some decent groups, and good players like Sheldon Souray, Lubomir Visnovsky and Tom Gilbert, but never complete groups like that one in 2006.
This season, Craig MacTavish looks to fix that wrong. He knows how hard it is to win with okay at best units. He tried it from 2006/07-2008/09. He doesn’t want to put new coach Dallas Eakins in the rough situation that he was in for years.
While MacT was unable to get that big fish (At least to this point), he has given the Oilers some real depth to play with, and about nine guys that can handle NHL duty. The defense is improved over last year in my mind, which is a huge plus. Now, who goes where?
Jeff Petry: Like it or not, he’s number one on this depth chart right now. That being said, the Oilers are using the 2006 Carolina model and doing defense by committee. Petry is young, is a legit top four defender in my mind, and has some pretty good puck-moving skills. He’s not great at any one thing, but he can do a lot well.
He had a rough season last year, but in 2011-12 we saw Petry handle 20+ minutes a night and play against the top opposition. Petry will be put back in that role, and with a normal season coming up, I expect we see him look like the 2011-12 version once again.
Ladislav Smid: Petry’s running mate on the top pairing if you ask me. Smid is a tough-as-nails shut-down defender who plays a physical style. He isn’t much when it comes to offense or to puck-moving, but Ladi competes every night, plays a good stay-at-home game and gives up his body to block shots.
He’s good on the PK too, and has been handling 20+ minutes and tough competition for the last few seasons. He’s a legit top-four option, and will most likely play on the top pairing.
Andrew Ference: Most Oilers fans will tell you they don’t like his contract, but I’m okay with it. Ference is a solid defender with steady feet and a high hockey IQ. He isn’t the biggest guy, but plays a tough, physical game. He’s okay moving the puck, and he’s a solid stay-at-home option.
Ference brings that effort and compete that MacTavish is looking for, and he is also a terrific leader. He was a huge piece of Boston’s 2011 Cup win, and was a pretty big part of last year’s team. He was a top four defender for the Bruins, so it’s easy to put him in Edmonton’s top four unit.
Expect Ference to wear a letter on his jersey and be that leader that the defense has been looking for since Gator left in 2007.
Justin Schultz: The second year puck-mover completes Edmonton’s top four unit, and will most likely play with Andrew Ference on the second unit. Schultz played a lot of hockey last season, and looked good for the most part. He tore up the AHL, and actually ended up as AHL defender of the year.
He also played in all 48 Oilers games, and scored 27 points. He was clearly tired by the end of the season, which explains the lone rough patch for the youngster.
Schultz enters his second year knowing the NHL game better, and having some great experience under his belt. Playing with a guy like Ference should give him more confidence, and he should be fresher coming into this NHL campaign than last year’s. He’ll play a lot of PP time, and I think we see 30-45 points from Schultz the younger.
Anton Belov: I’m much higher up on Belov than most are. The KHL’s top defender from last year comes to Edmonton, and in my mind will be a real positive for this team. He’s got decent size at 6’3” 185 and he’s still young at 26 years old.
He’s a decent puck-mover and plays with a physical edge, something the Oilers will like. He’s played pro for years, and everyone that has watched him has loved his game. I suspect he plays third-pairing minutes for Edmonton to start the year, and I think he is the biggest surprise for the Oilers this year. I’m very high on this kid for some reason.
Nick Schultz: Schultz the elder enters his contract year with the Oilers, and will be playing a lesser role. Schultz struggled in the top-four last season and it showed. He and Jultz were a disaster together, and it showed on the scoreboard and stat sheet. Nick is supposed to be a steady defender, not physical, but still a stay-at-home guy.
I don’t think he fits in very well with Edmonton, but unless a trade comes up he will be starting the season with the Oilers. If he does start the year in Edmonton, I suspect they pair him in a lesser minutes role with Anton Belov, matching the puck-mover with the steady Schultz.
All that said, I still think they move Nick before camp.
Denis Grebeshkov: Grebber returns from three seasons in the KHL, and is poised to make the NHL roster out of camp. Grebeshkov is a solid puck-moving defender, and has had success at the NHL level.
He’s a solid gamble for the bottom pairing, and he has the ability to step up in the line-up, we’ve seen it before. He’ll be motivated and ready to roll too, and I suspect he makes the opening night roster. If the Oilers move N. Schultz, then Grebeshkov will play on the third pairing with Belov. If not, he’ll start as the seven.
Phillip Larsen: Acquired from Dallas, Larsen is a young puck-moving option that could use a little more development time. He has NHL experience with the Stars, but has struggled a bit. There is some potential here, he can make a first pass and move the puck forward, which fits in perfectly.
That being said, I think it’s for the best if Larsen starts in the AHL and plays big minutes down there.
Corey Potter: Most think Potter needs to go, but I’m in favor of keeping the puck-moving veteran. Potter has done everything asked of him since signing on in 2011, and he has actually been a decent player for the Oilers.
He certainly doesn’t play a pretty game, but he has a good shot and has that puck-moving ability the Oilers like. His underlying stats were pretty good last year too, and he’s a decently cheap option for the Oilers. I have him sticking as the 8th defender for Edmonton.
Best of the Rest: Oscar Klefbom is all the rage right now, and I think very highly of him, but with that being said, he needs development time. Klefbom has great potential, but is going to be coming off of a pretty big surgery and will be adjusting to the North American game. A season in OKC is the best thing for him right now.
Martin Marincin and Taylor Fedun will be in OKC as well, and both are developing quite well. That said, I think both need at least one more year of development before we can consider them for legit roles on the Oiler roster. I do expect we’ll see these guys as call-ups this season, and I think it’s fair to assume all three get their first NHL taste at some point this season.
Depth Chart: If I was coaching the Oilers (Don’t worry…I’m not) I would have the following depth chart if nothing changes. It has a few pretty good puck-movers mixed with steady defenders and some real good depth should injury happen (and it will).
Smid-Petry
Ference-J. Schultz
N. Schultz-Belov
Grebeshkov, Potter
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