Ranking Edmonton Oilers defencemen’s performance in the season’s second half

Sports

add

Since Jan. 1, the Edmonton Oilers have played about half a season (39 games).

The team has seen some changes in that time on defence, and a few performances that have landed shy of expectations.

An injury to Mattias Ekholm sent the club’s top pairing into disarray, and his continued absence is jarring. Ekholm’s absence (he has played 26 of 39 games since Jan. 1) over much of 2025 is the major story.

Here are the Oilers defencemen, ranked by performance since Jan. 1. All numbers below are five-on-five unless otherwise noted.

1. Darnell Nurse

Since the start of the year, Nurse has posted a 53 percent goal share. That’s the top percentage among defencemen, and his 55 percent expected goal share backs it up. When Nurse is on the ice (19:48 per game, leading the club’s blueliners), his goals-against per 60 (2.70) is tops among Edmonton’s feature defencemen who have played more than 20 games since Jan. 1. He’s scoring 1.06 points per 60, a solid number.

Nurse has also been part of a more effective penalty-killing unit in the second half. Before the new year, the Oilers defender allowed 16.93 goals per 60 (team worst total); that number is down to 8.17 since Jan. 1.

His steady play at five-on-five, with various partners, has been vital during a chaotic period. His goal share with Evan Bouchard (6-3 goals in 53 minutes) and with newcomer Jake Walman (8-2 goals in 106 minutes) tower over the rest of the group’s tandems.

2. Jake Walman

Walman gets docked a little because he’s played in fewer than half of the games (15) since Jan. 1, but he’s near the top on merit.

His goal share (62 percent) is stronger than expected (56 percent), making him the only Oilers defenceman running good luck since the start of the calendar year.

Walman started strong and has faded more recently. His best spot on the roster so far is beside Nurse (80 percent goal share), and that could be the alignment when Ekholm returns.

Walman’s overall body of work since arrival reminds one of Brett Kulak’s early days with the Oilers. He’s signed for next season, but he should be considered a candidate for an extension during his walk season. An underrated aspect of his game is puck-moving ability, badly needed among the top-four defencemen in Edmonton.

3. Evan Bouchard 

It’s a difficult time for Edmonton’s best passing defenceman. Edmonton’s forwards have been banged up in the second half, and his primary partner (Ekholm) has also been on the injured list for extended periods.

The Oilers’ biggest five-on-five advantage over the last couple of seasons came when Ekholm-Bouchard played with the No. 1 line, which included Connor McDavid and (at times) Leon Draisaitl.

For a decade, McDavid’s ability to outscore opponents has covered up a lot of holes for the Oilers. This season, that advantage has gone missing.

McDavid-Bouchard with Draisaitl this season are on fire again, though. In 309 minutes five-on-five, the three men have contributed to a 71 percent goal share and average 4.86 goals per 60. That’s basically a power play when teams are at even strength. Those totals are comparable to the 2023-24 totals, via Natural Stat Trick.

The worry this season is McDavid-Bouchard away from Draisaitl. In 2023-24, the duo combined for a 58 percent goal share, scoring 4.17 goals per 60. Fantastic results that tilted the ice in Edmonton’s favour.

This season, McDavid-Bouchard without Draisaitl is scoring 1.9 goals per 60 and owns a 46 percent goal share. That’s a massive fall year over year.

Since Jan. 1, Bouchard without McDavid or Draisaitl is delivering a 37 percent goal share. He’s having a below-average second half compared to his own established levels.

4. Brett Kulak

In normal times, when the Oilers can deploy Kulak on the third pairing, the left side depth chart is one of the strengths of the team.

These are not normal times.

Since Jan. 1, Kulak has been playing with Nurse (187 minutes, 40 percent goal share) on a feature pairing that has struggled. When placed with Ty Emberson (third pairing, lesser competition), his outscoring (38 percent) is also poor.

From Jan. 1 through today, Kulak’s share is 40 percent. His expected goal share is 54 percent, suggesting that regression will give the veteran defenceman better luck in the days to come. For now, it’s the most difficult period of his time with the Oilers.

5. Mattias Ekholm

Ekholm is the team’s best defenceman, full stop. However, he has not been the best blueliner since Jan. 1, owing to injury and illness. The gap between the first and second half is stark for this player.

In the season’s first half, Ekholm averaged 18:26 per game at five-on-five, with a goal share (59 percent) and expected goal share (60 percent) that reflected dominance.

Since then, his TOI per game (18:46) increased slightly, while his on-ice goal percentage (39 percent) crumbled. Curiously, his expected goal share (59 percent) rocked steady.

There’s no doubt that luck (bad luck) impacted his results, but Ekholm was not close to the same player during the second half. His prolonged absence from the playing roster, and that he has yet to return as the regular season winds down, is alarming.

Edmonton needs first half Ekholm. Badly.

6. Troy Stecher

Stecher doesn’t play much against elite competition, but seems to be gaining the confidence of the coaches in the lower minutes. Since Jan. 1, he’s the owner of a 46 percent goal share. That doesn’t sound impressive, but it ranks third among regulars in the second half (behind Nurse and Bouchard).

It appears the coaching staff has moved Stecher ahead of Emberson on the depth chart at this time. That won’t impact things now, but when Ekholm returns, it could be Emberson who finds his way to the bench.

7. Ty Emberson

The Oilers acquired Emberson after the Philip Broberg offer sheet and have used him in a depth role this season. His second-half five-on-five goal share (43 percent) is a poor number. Emberson’s expected goal percentage, as is the case with most Edmonton defencemen, is much higher.

Although his playing time at five-on-five is the same in the second half, there’s a perception that Stecher has passed him on the depth chart. Talk of a new contract was widespread before Christmas, it’s been crickets since.

Emberson would do well to deliver a performance spike down the stretch and in any playoff opportunities that may come his way.

Unranked

There are three players whom I didn’t rank due to a lack of playing time.

John Klingberg played in 10 games, with a 47 percent goal share (47 percent expected) and averaged 18:06 per game. His coverage wasn’t strong, and he had trouble closing gaps. Klingberg might be a stronger candidate for NHL play if he gets a longer runway at training camp in the fall. As it stands, he hasn’t played since March 27.

Josh Brown has played in six games and owns a 50 percent goal share. His role on the team is as a recall, and the Oilers may have him on the extended roster during the postseason.

Cam Dineen played in one game during the second half. He should be considered a distant bell as a possible playoff recall.

Summary

If Ekholm returns at close to 100 percent, that should settle Bouchard down and allow the Oilers’ top pairing to have success. If the duo can help the McDavid line return to its previous dominance, the Oilers’ chances of winning the Stanley Cup increase markedly.

However, there’s no evidence Ekholm is going to be the player Oilers fans saw during last season’s playoffs.

Bouchard is a key player on this depth chart. If he has Ekholm alongside, those tough minutes against elites are more manageable. Oilers fans have witnessed his struggles in that role with Ekholm injured, and the organization must solve the issue of his turnovers if there’s any hope of a deep run.

For the second pair, the ridiculous 80 percent goal share enjoyed by Nurse-Walman will be too difficult for the coaching staff to resist, meaning Kulak runs with Stecher or Emberson based on the coach’s decision.

There’s a case to be made for this year’s defence being deeper and with more range than the group that went to the Stanley Cup Final one year ago.

It all comes down to Ekholm’s health this spring.

(Photo of Darnell Nurse: Danny Wild / Imagn Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

Share on

email

Previous

trending_flat

Luka Dončić returns to Dallas: How Lakers and Mavericks have switched places since the trade

Sports

Next

trending_flat

With postseason hopes fading, Suns look to end skid vs. Thunder

Sports