Grading Every Defenseman's Contract On The Oilers This Season

I started with the forwards, but over the next few days, I'll look at the defense and goaltender contracts on the Edmonton Oilers roster. The idea is to review the eight names listed on the active roster (per PuckPedia) and grade each deal. 

The exercise seemed fruitful given the way salaries have ballooned this summer. It's changed the way teams might see the deals that were signed prior to the likes of Zeev Buium, Cale Makar, and eventually, Quinn Hughes or Simon Edvinsson. 

To make things simple, we'll go in order from most expensive to least:

Anyone who criticized this contract when it was signed has egg on their face today. Sure, some will continue to argue that Evan Bouchard is not an elite defenseman, but everyone is entitled to be wrong. 

Bouchard's deal only doesn't get an A+ because it's a short-term deal. Had the Oilers locked him in for seven or eight years at this number, it would look like a bargain. As it stands now, it represents a solid deal. 

Edmonton will eventually have to pay him a much bigger salary when his contract expires in 2029, but until then, he's making good on his contract. With 95 points in 82 and playing the heavy load of minutes he plays, it's easy to point to his defensive warts, but every superstar defenseman has them and his offense is elite. 

As of now, this deal isn't looking like the astute signing the Oilers had hoped it would be. That doesn't mean it won't be a solid bargain when all is said and done. Walman wasn't great last season, but some of that was due to injuries that he couldn't quite shake. 

It's a long-term deal that has been criticized. Rightfully so. However, there is a very effective player there, and one that can be excellent as a top four. If he plays up to the level he's shown he's capable of, and stays in the lineup, $7 million isn't bad. 

Connor Murphy joined the Oilers at last season's trade deadline, and like Mattias Ekholm before him, he was a good fit right away. A stay-at-home defenseman with some offensive upside, he was a stable presence. He penalty kills, doesn't mind getting involved in the rough stuff, and is a suitable fit beside almost any defensive partner. 

He's already shown great leadership qualities, and he was eager to stay with the team on an extension, which was done this summer at a reasonable rate. The five-year term is a bit long, given that he's 33 years old. That's the one real knock on the contract. 

The Oilers got a keeper when the traded for Mattias Ekholm out of Nashville. He's been instrumental in their playoff runs since his arrival and when his contract ran out, both sides wanted to get something done. He's Evan Bouchard's defense partner, and while it's unclear how many more seasons that will last, he's that guy today. 

He's 36, so this contract takes him to 39. There's a decent chance he's not as effective in the latter part of this deal, which is why its graded where it is. 

Edmonton traded Darnell Nurse to the San Jose Sharks and immediately signed a player many believe will be his pseudo replacement in Ryan Shea. This is not to say that Shea isn't good, he's just unproven beyond a breakout 2025-26 season in Pittsburgh and he's not the same style of player as Nurse. 

If Shea has figured out his game and he continues on this trajectory, this deal will be a steal. If last season was a one-and-done, it's going to look like a mistake in hindsight. Even then, at $4 million, a mistake isn't terribly costly given the way the salary cap is going up. 

The Oilers got Mukhamadullin as part of the return in the Nurse trade, and if he turns out to be anything, it was a good pickup. Considering many thought the Oilers would have to eat salary or take a bad contract back, picking up an NHL player who is motivated to prove he's got more game than he was allowed to show in San Jose has real upside. 

There are some who believe his defensive game needs work. Offensively, he's creative. He's got size and skill and the Oilers hope to encourage he utillize both. 

If there's a player on this roster who might seem redundant now, it's Spencer Stastney. You can't have too much depth, but with the pieces the Oilers now have on their blueline, Stastney may struggle to earn a regular role on the roster. 

Honestly, this contract is fine. The question becomes: could the Oilers have used the $1.5 million somewhere else?

I'm bullish on Ty Emberson. I believe there's a player there, and last season he went from being the guy who was hit the most to one of the players delivering the most hits. He's a good depth player who, for the most part, is stable. Something tells me this could be his breakout year. 

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