The Oilers have been linked to two Stanley Cup champions and a Norris Trophy winner on possible PTO contracts.
The Oilers have been linked to two Stanley Cup champions and a Norris Trophy winner on possible PTO contracts.
Just twelve days away from their first preseason game, the Edmonton Oilers' roster is not yet set in stone.
Since the departure of Philip Broberg, the team has been linked to several veteran free agent defencemen. With training camps underway and PTOs already starting to get announced across the league, let's look at where the Oilers' options stand.
LHD Travis Dermott, 27
Dermott, who is still only 27 despite it feeling like he's been around forever, has been linked to Edmonton for a while. He's got a connection to Kris Knoblauch, having played under him in Erie (along with Connor McDavid and Connor Brown), and is a former client of Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson. With Knoblauch playing such a big role in acquiring Ty Emberson, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Dermott join the Oilers' blueline.
His age is a plus, as none of the other options are under 30. Despite that, Dermott is a slightly awkward fit. As a lefty, he'd have to play on his off-hand to fill the hole on the right side of the Oilers' defence. As a small-ish puck moving d-man, he also overlaps stylistically on the Oilers depth chart with the right-handed Troy Stecher, another former Canuck and Coyote.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntn6vM3PkNo[/embed]
RHD Kevin Shattenkirk, 35
I went long on Shattenkirk last week, so we'll keep this section short. Elliotte Friedman reported on 32 Thoughts that Shattenkirk was extremely interested in coming to Edmonton. The 2020 Stanley Cup champion put up decent results on the bottom pair in Boston last year, and could play on either the second or third pair in Edmonton.
RHD Justin Schultz, 34
While the Oilers weren't able to bring back Tyson Barrie, he's not the only former Oiler they've been linked to this summer. Schultz carries a similar track record to Kevin Shattenkirk; a former Stanley Cup champion who can still provide a little offence from the back end without being a disaster in his own end.
Schultz had kind of a weird season last year in Seattle. His individual numbers were quite good, particularly on offence. The Kraken were outscored by 7 when he was on the ice, but his expected goals totals were much better, according to both MoneyPuck and The Athletic. All in all, he was one of the best defencemen on a poor Seattle team. He could provide exceptional value on a PTO deal.
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LHD Mark Giordano, 40
The Oilers are already the oldest team in the league, so why not lean into it and sign the league's oldest player? The Oilers are one of several teams reported to have spoken with the former Norris Trophy winner, who turns 41 just before the season begins in October.
Even at 40, Giordano was pretty good last year in Toronto. Nobody would call him dynamic anymore, but he more than held his own in third pair minutes. MoneyPuck says he basically battled opponents to a draw, while The Athletic's model absolutely loved him on both sides of the puck. According to the model, he was worth $4.2 million to the Leafs on a salary of only $800,000.
Giordano is excruciatingly slow at this point in his career, and would likely have to play on his off-hand, so he's not a slam dunk. But he's been as steady as they come for over a decade, and would add undeniable leadership and veteran presence to the locker room. Plus, wouldn't it just be great if a former Calgary Flames captain won his first Stanley Cup in Edmonton?
Now, there's no guarantee that any of these players will come to Edmonton, or that they'd even make the team if offered a PTO. But for a team with championship aspirations and a clear hole on the blueline, any of these four defencemen would be welcome additions to the roster.
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