3 Defender Targets to Solidify Oilers' Blueline
Three defenders the Edmonton Oilers could target to bolster their defense.
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports - 3 Defender Targets to Solidify Oilers' BluelineEDMONTON -- Defense wins championships.
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For the Edmonton Oilers who have solidified their forward ranks, shoring up their blueline is one of the next items to tick off the list. Obviously, making it to the Stanley Cup Final wasn't easy.
Finding a way to improve their defense will pay massive dividends for the organization. Philip Broberg proved that he is ready for a steady diet of NHL minutes. However, playing him on his strong side should be a priority for the coaching staff. If the Oilers can put together their 2nd and 3rd pairing to act as a "2A" and "2B" pairing, they can distribute ice time in an even way that will benefit everyone in the long term.
Can the Oilers add a right-shot defender who can chew up 20+ minutes a night? These are three targets that the Oilers could consider making a pitch for.
Artem Zub
Artem Zub is a 28-year-old defender with the Ottawa Senators. Zub and Jake Sanderson were the Senators' pairing that faced elite competition more than any other set of defenders. Zub played against elites 39.8% of his total ice time.
Dangerous Fenwick is similar to Fenwick, but it goes a step further. It also measures how dangerous a shot is based on location and type of shot. Dangerous Fenwick For percentage (DFF%) is an expression of that metric similar to Corsi For %.
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For Zub, he ranks third on the Senators with a 48.7 DFF%. The only two hirer than him were Sanderson and Erik Brannstrom. Brannstrom played against elites considerably less than Zub and Sanderson.
Zub has an incredibly digestible cap hit at $4.6-million for the next three seasons. He is not known for his offense, but given the other defenders that the Oilers have in their arsenal, he won't be needed for that. This 21-minute a night defenseman would be a tremendous addition.
MacKenzie Weegar
MacKenzie Weegar is the kind of defender who likes to throw his weight around. At 6-foot and 206 lbs, he isn't the biggest guy, but he collected 194 hits in 82 games last season.
Weegar ranks first in DFF% for Calgary Flames defenders who have played at least 150 minutes against elites. His 48% is in the same ballpark as Zub, even though he's making more money with a $6.25-million contract. His current deal will expire in 2030-31.
Weegar offers excellent offense, with at least 25 assists and 30 points for four consecutive seasons. Last year he enjoyed a career best offense season, with 20 goals and 52 points while averaging a shade under 23 minutes a game.
Aaron Ekblad
According to The Fourth Period, Aaron Ekblad is rumoured to be on the trade block. The Florida Panthers have reportedly had discussions with other teams regarding his availability in a trade.
The 6-foot-4 and 215 lb defender is entering the final year of a deal paying him $7.5-million. He has a 12 team no trade list for this season.
Ekblad ranks fourth on the Panthers' blueline in DFF% against elites with 50.9%. The defenders who ranked higher were Gustav Forsling, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Dmitry Kulikov.
The biggest concern with acquiring Ekblad is his health. The last time he played every game of the season was back with the 2018-19 season. He got close in 2019-20 where he played 67 of a possible 71 games.
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Of these three defenders, the most cost effective option would be Zub. The best overall option would be Weegar, if they can find a way to make the money work.
It will be interesting to follow along the rest of the offseason (and regular season) to see what Stan Bowman does on this front.
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