Oilers Reportedly On The Lookout To Add Another Defenseman
The Edmonton Oilers have made a good move by acquiring elite defensive defenseman Mattias Ekholm, a perfect fit for their needs. This addition has significantly improved the Oilers' five-on-five defending and penalty kill, two areas where they were previously weak. The left side of their defense is now solid with Ekholm, Philip Broberg, and Brett Kulak.
However, the right side of their defense is less experienced without Tyson Barrie, who was traded for Ekholm. The three right-handed defensemen - Cody Ceci, Evan Bouchard, and Vincent Desharnais - are relatively inexperienced, leaving room for an upgrade. Bouchard has been paired with Ekholm and is expected to get more opportunities to prove himself as a top defenseman and show his full potential.
According to Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, the Oilers may still be on the lookout for a right-handed defenseman. John Klingberg, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Mathew Dumba are the players that stand out in the list of pending unrestricted free agents.
They considered signing Klingberg last summer but were not impressed after scouting him heavily, while van Riemsdyk has only performed well against middle-tier and low-end competition with the Capitals. Dumba has also had a below-average campaign in Minnesota.
The Oilers may decide to wait for a run at Erik Karlsson, likely around the draft in June, rather than making another move now that they have Ekholm. But ideally, they would make a move before the playoffs to strengthen their team for the difficult first two rounds ahead of them.
| POLL | ||
Who do you think will be better in the playoffs? | ||
| Vincent Desharnais | 53 | 66.3 % |
| Philip Broberg | 12 | 15 % |
| Evan Bouchard | 15 | 18.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
