Checking in with the Oilers’ defensive core at the halfway point
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07.01.2026
Coming into the season, one of the Edmonton Oilers’ biggest perceived strengths was their defensive core.Edmonton’s depth on the back end was a huge reason why they got to a second consecutive Stanley Cup Final last spring. The ability to play Jake Walman in softer matchups gave their bottom six a puck-moving edge that helped Edmonton dominate the transition game up and down the lineup. Now that we’ve hit the halfway point of the season, I figured it was a good time to check in on the Oilers’ defencemen and discuss their performance so far. Have they lived up to the standard set last postseason? Let’s start with a snapshot of their 5-on-5 metrics.I’ve arranged the players by Quality of Competition, and unsurprisingly, the number one pair, featuring Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, is at the top. What is somewhat surprising, however, is how much more difficult their deployment is compared to years past. Last season, both players faced elite competition in less than 32 percent of their minutes. This season, they’re both at over 37 percent. Defensive coach Mark Stuart is leaning on his top guys more heavily than his predecessor, Paul Coffey. Despite the heavy responsibility, they’ve been quite........
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