Within the next year, the Edmonton Oilers will need to make a decision regarding defender Oscar Klefbom. The 22 year old was a bright spot for the Oil in 2014-15, emerging as a legit NHL option on a depleted blue-line. After a solid rookie season between the NHL and AHL in 2013-14, Klefbom’s step last year was a major plus.
The 2011 first round pick is already, in my mind, a top four defender at the NHL level. Now, he’s certainly more suited to second-pairing minutes, but the fact remains that he can fill a spot in the lineup that, quite frankly, not many players on the roster can.
Klefbom played in 60 games for Edmonton last season, scoring 2-18-20. Those offensive totals certainly don’t scream impact player, but they are a lot better than what the verbal suggested when Klefbom came over from Sweden.
In 2013-14, Klefbom played in 17 NHL games scoring 1-2-3, but all of those games were later on in the season. In total, Klefbom has also played in 57 AHL contests, although I think we can safely say he won’t be going back there again.
His Role:
I think, at least to start the season, that we will see a shut-down pairing of Andrej Sekera and Mark Fayne as the top unit for Edmonton, It’s a veteran pairing with two guys proven to be able to handle top-four minutes and have some success. For a veteran coach like Todd McLellan, that’s a safe pairing.
Where does that leave Klefbom, a young defender who is a left handed shot? In my mind, on the second pairing, the same kind of role he faced for portions of last season. Last year, Klefbom averaged 21:59 per game. I’d bet that total goes down a little bit, but remains around the 21 minute mark this season.
In my mind, Klefbom starts the season on the second pair, potentially with Justin Schultz again. Regardless of partner, I think Klefbom’s best bet is to play in a role that gives him a lot of ice time, but second tier opposition and a fair zone start split. Don’t overload him with defensive zone starts, but certainly don’t give him the Justin Schultz zone start push.
Left side, second pairing defender is the role I see for Klefbom, not just this season, but in the future as well.
Now Or Later?:
Klefbom will be an RFA next summer, meaning that the Oilers need to get a new contract done with him. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug hinted at the possibility that the Oil and Klefbom could get a deal done this summer, and I touched on the topic back in the spring.
Getting a deal done now could benefit the Oilers, but it does come with some real risk. Klefbom has played less than 82 NHL games, meaning extending him right now could result in the Oilers getting it done at a good price point thanks to a lack of a track record.
Obviously, the player still gets paid, but Edmonton wouldn’t have to fork over money like it would to a proven commodity. That said, there is some real risk in that option. What happens if Klefbom doesn’t take a step forward and falls off a cliff production wise? It’s highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened before.
The case for later also comes with risks and rewards. Waiting until next summer means that Edmonton gets a much better idea of the kind of player Klefbom is. Can he take a step forward this season and prove that he is a legit top-four NHL defender? Waiting a year would take a considerable amount of risk away.
That said, Edmonton might be forced into paying Klefbom more should they wait a year, because with more results comes more demand for the player.
What I Would Do:
If I were Peter Chiarelli, I’d be exploring the possibility of an extension, something likely in the range of four or five years. Klefbom is a part of the young core in Edmonton, and will likely be teamed up with Darnell Nurse and Griffin Reinhart in the future. Those four guys will be Edmonton’s go-to options on defense for a long time.
Taking care of Klefbom right now certainly seems like a solid idea, it’s one less thing to worry about next summer, when Edmonton will open up a large amount of cap space.
What’s the Deal?:
So, what would said deal look like? Like I mentioned back in the spring, the best comparable is Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin, who was also successful right out of the gate and who signed with the Wild rather quickly after establishing himself. Brodin experienced a little more success than Klefbom, but also had the help of Ryan Suter on Minnesota’s strong blue-line.
Brodin has six years remaining on his deal at $4.166 million per year. Another comparable I used? Alec Martinez in Los Angeles, who has six years left on his deal at $4 million per season. Both players are in the range with Oscar.
Will Edmonton go six years with Klefbom? I’d go four or five, but I can certainly see the argument to go six or even seven years. If you believe that the player is a legit long-term solution, then get the deal done and lock him up.
I’d sign him to a $4.2 million per year deal for four years, but I suspect Edmonton will get a deal done that comes in around $4.5 million per for six or seven years. They are all in on Klefbom.
What would you do? Would you sign Klefbom to a long-term deal before camp, or would you wait until next summer?
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