The Edmonton Oilers’ defensive group has come under fire this season for not being good enough. In reality, that’s true, the group isn’t good enough. They lack enough actual top-four defenders to be a solid and competitive group, but that falls on management and not the players.
Let’s give these guys a grade, shall we? Keep in mind, I’m evaluating these guys based on a number of different things. One thing I consider? Guys playing in roles that they simply don’t belong in. Justin Schultz gets a bit of a break for being forced to be a top-four defender when he clearly is not at this stage.
Andrej Sekera – B+: Edmonton’s big free agent addition has lived up to the hype. He’s taken on the role of number one defender for this group and has been, to my eye, an improvement on Jeff Petry (who I really liked) in that slot. Sekera has been strong on the puck, makes good passes and provides a calming presence when he is on the ice. He’s also been decent on the power play to this point.
Sekera is probably best suited as a number two or three defender, but he’s handled big minutes and the toughest opponents and survived. To me, that’s impressive and worthy of a good grade.
Mark Fayne – D: The big free agent in the summer of 2014 has, to put it politely, struggled in Edmonton. Fayne has spent time in the AHL this season and been a healthy scratch quite a bit for the club. I believe that Mark Fayne is a good NHL defender, a reliable shut-down guy. That said, he’s too slow and doesn’t fit well with Todd McLellan’s style. Combine that together and you get bad results like the one we have seen this season.
Oscar Klefbom – B: Recently, Klefbom has been Edmonton’s best defender and there is no debate. That said, he struggled during the first month and there was some brief worry about him. He’s been injured since mid December and it’s hurt the club considerably. He can move the puck with ease, is strong defensively and can skate miles. Oh, and he can handle tough competition and play big minutes. He’s the future and he’s now proven as a top-four guy.
Justin Schultz – D-: Considering he was aware that he needed to be better, this is a nightmare season for number 19. Schultz has actually regressed in many areas this year, and that’s an issue. His defensive coverage is as bad as ever, his physical ability is nonexistent and he hasn’t provided anything offensively. That said, his last few games have been better and he’s starting to look a little confident. There is a player in there somewhere, seriously. Oilers and Schultz need to find it. The first 41 games were not good, but the next 41 can be better.
Darnell Nurse – B: All things considered, this has been a really nice debut. Nurse has been thrown into the deep end, playing the most of any rookie in the NHL and leading Edmonton in even strength TOI for parts of the season. Oh, and he’s handled some of the toughest opposition all before his 50th NHL game. Impressive. Nurse actually moves the puck well and provides Edmonton with that tough, gritty defender. He’s also mobile and is in the top-four before he can legally drink in the States. This kid is going to be a stud. Solid, solid debut.
Brandon Davidson – B-: Davidson made the team because Edmonton was afraid they would lose him on waivers. After a month of being in and out of the lineup, Davidson has become a regular and is pushing for a spot in the top-four. He’s smooth skating and can actually move the puck while also being strong in his positioning and playing a physical style. He doesn’t have the ceiling of Nurse or Klefbom but he’s become known for smart plays. The kid is so confident too. To me, he’s been the biggest surprise for this hockey club, and in a good way.
Eric Gryba – C: He’s come as advertised to Edmonton. Extremely weak with the puck, but he’s a strong defender and brings a good physical element. He’s grown on me as a third-pairing option moving forward. Average hockey player has had an average year and gets an average grade.
Nikita Nikitin – F: Showed up not ready to go in camp and was sent down to the AHL. In a short stint in December, he was a disaster. Had two good games to my eye (@ Boston and @ New York), but was a mess from that point on. Was sent back down to the AHL and likely doesn’t see the light of day as an Oiler again.
Andrew Ference – F: Has only played in six games this season and had a -4 rating. Made some key mistakes and hasn’t seen the lineup in months. Currently on the IR and on his way to a buy-out this summer. He’s one of the good guys in the game and I wish him the best moving on.
Brad Hunt – C: Short stint right now but he hasn’t been bad. Moving the puck well but he needs to shoot it more on the powerplay. Doubtful we see him in the NHL once Oscar Klefbom returns to health.
Griffin Reinhart – Incomplete: I can’t give him a grade just yet. Reinhart was in and out of the lineup early in the season and then was injured and put on the IR. After a short stint back at full health, he was sent to the AHL. I didn’t get to see his game enough and feel that it would be unfair to give him a grade. Saw some good things early, mainly defensively, but he needs to work on some things in the AHL.
Oilers Overall Defensive Grade – C-: The Oilers are a C- minus defensive team right now, in my mind. They are below average but have some nice pieces. Brandon Davidson and Darnell Nurse emerged as legit NHL players in the first half while Oscar Klefbom and Andrej Sekera proved their worth.
That said, a number of players, mainly Mark Fayne and Justin Schultz, performed well below expectations and have hurt the club. Both of those guys, along with Nikita Nikitin, have fallen out of favor with this organization and will likely be moved down the line as time goes on.
Edmonton has some potential at this position and some room to grow, no doubt. That said, the management group in Edmonton needs to supplement this group with another strong defensive option. That falls on Peter Chiarelli, but we already knew that.
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