Defensive depth will save the day !

[Weitz]

If it’s so easy to fix our wingers, and cover up weak ones, then why haven’t we been able to?

Teams like Washington, Toronto, San Jose, and Winnipeg all gave up close to as many goals as us. The difference? They weren’t in the bottom third in goals for.

13 of the 16 playoff teams were in the top 16 for goals for. The exceptions were the Stars, Preds, and Isles. Fix the forwards, or we’re never making the playoffs

13 of the 16 playoff teams were top 16 in goals against. Not a strong point.

 

[Bank Shot]

NHL players still get paid mostly on points. Given that the Oilers already have two huge contracts on the team they should be building the rest of the roster around sound defensive play.

 

[Aerchon]

NHL players still get paid mostly on points. Given that the Oilers already have two huge contracts on the team they should be building the rest of the roster around sound defensive play.

Not a popular opinion around these parts.

It's all about goals and points here. Goal differential does not compute for the average hf Oiler fan.

 

[MinisterOfSinister]

When discussing our anemic offensive, I think k it's often overlooked how shitty our breakout is.
Add more wingers, wont make a lick of difference when our breakout consists of forwards circling back in the neutral zone and trying to hit D with speed.
We need a top pairing guy who can eat 25 mins a night, be sound defensively, run a PP and make a good first pass.
We havent had a good stretch pass out of our own zone since when... Whitney?

 

[snipes]

Not this again. It was the same thing with Musil/Gernat/Marincin and then even Reinhart

If you dont have actual NHL D depth, these guys are toast

Not even comparable to our current pipeline. Like at all.

 

[blue_n_copper]

I don't think we can afford to lose another veteran d right now after the Sekera buyout and I don't like the idea of trading any of our d prospects right now either. I think Lagesson, Jones, Perrson and Bear will probably all get a chance this year and if we are "lucky" maybe even all at the same time. There is no need to make room for our defensive prospects, we have room, we just need to know which ones to keep.

 

[thadd]

Re to OP: Will be much easier to move Russell when he's on the last year of his contract. A trade involving Benning is very much possible, but our young kids have to push him to the #7 spot before we can expect him to get traded out of town.

 

[TheNumber4]

None of these players are anything until they actually do something. This includes Bouchard to be honest. We've seen enough busts in this City I'm surprised were so bullish about this defensive "depth".

That being said, one of these plays HAS to be able to push that turd Benning off this team right? There's something to be excited about.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

None of these players are anything until they actually do something. This includes Bouchard to be honest. We've seen enough busts in this City I'm surprised were so bullish about this defensive "depth".

That being said, one of these plays HAS to be able to push that turd Benning off this team right? There's something to be excited about.

I know it’s hard to believe, but everything points to benning playing just fine in a 5/6 role.

 

[fireantz]

None of these players are anything until they actually do something. This includes Bouchard to be honest. We've seen enough busts in this City I'm surprised were so bullish about this defensive "depth".

That being said, one of these plays HAS to be able to push that turd Benning off this team right? There's something to be excited about.

We ended last season with six veteran d and Manning. With Sekera and Manning out at least two newbies will get a look (injuries will give more opportunity). I expect all the righties will get a shot at surpassing Russell and Benning. I expect our pairings to look different by Christmas and at least one veteran gone by next season. Several will “do something” forcing decisions by next trade deadline

 

[fireantz]

Bold prediction; Before the end of this season a Nurse - Bouchard pairing will be considered as pushing for first pairing. A more offensive partner for Nurse will keep him to his physical strengths in his own zone and less on lugging the puck. If any of the prospects can’t push Russell-Benning out of 3rd pairing do they stay prospects. That’s what Nurse-Benning had to do 3 years ago

 

[Tyrolean]

When discussing our anemic offensive, I think k it's often overlooked how ****ty our breakout is.
Add more wingers, wont make a lick of difference when our breakout consists of forwards circling back in the neutral zone and trying to hit D with speed.
We need a top pairing guy who can eat 25 mins a night, be sound defensively, run a PP and make a good first pass.
We havent had a good stretch pass out of our own zone since when... Whitney?

Sekera. He's the only D that passes into the middle when the flanks are covered. All the rest do the same stupid things on breakout.

 

[TheNumber4]

I know it’s hard to believe, but everything points to benning playing just fine in a 5/6 role.

He'd be passable in a 6 hole if our defense wasn't already so bad. Without a true top pairing we need our 6 D to be better than barely passable. Benning can barely skate like an NHLer.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

He'd be passable in a 6 hole if our defense wasn't already so bad. Without a true top pairing we need our 6 D to be better than barely passable. Benning can barely skate like an NHLer.

Benning is fine so long as he's sheltered with a vet.

...Him sheltering a rookie frightens me.

 

[soothsayer]

Benning is fine so long as he's sheltered with a vet.

...Him sheltering a rookie frightens me.

Be prepared for a scare. Benning will play on the second pairing or he will be playing with a rookie. That's how this was always going to go unless the Oilers make a move. The real scary thing, though, is that the Oilers still don't have a plan to reduce the minutes at the top, because it's not reasonable to assume that a defenseman who hasn't played more than 19 games in the NHL can comfortably play enough minutes to ease Klefbom and Nurse's burden. And after 12 years, "one of the rookies has to make that step" is a laughable statement. No they do not.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Be prepared for a scare. Benning will play on the second pairing or he will be playing with a rookie. That's how this was always going to go unless the Oilers make a move. The real scary thing, though, is that the Oilers still don't have a plan to reduce the minutes at the top, because it's not reasonable to assume that a defenseman who hasn't played more than 19 games in the NHL can comfortably play enough minutes to ease Klefbom and Nurse's burden. And after 12 years, "one of the rookies has to make that step" is a laughable statement. No they do not.

Yeah either one of those scenarios is just dumb. If the Oilers put him in the top 4 yet again I'll be convinced that someone is slipping bad ideas into the ears of our new staff.

 

[russ99]

When injuries hit, and typically they hit an already weak Oilers blue line on a regular basis, we need depth.
Theres no way we gut our current d group, which is already poor, and toss these guys to the wolves with zero vet presence like we have done with so many other young players.
I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

Not to mention, the NHL level is a steep learning curve for many players stepping up, as we've seen with Klefbom, Nurse and Benning. Just tossing a player in and expecting 10 minutes a night of NHL level defensive play is asking too much.

We need 7 D to start, so that opens a space for one player, to be sheltered and grow his game. When injury inevitably strikes, we'll need other players as well, so the course of a season we should get a pretty good idea as to who can step in and who can't. Punting players now and throwing in the kids makes no sense to me.

 

[Satire]

Bold prediction; Before the end of this season a Nurse - Bouchard pairing will be considered as pushing for first pairing. A more offensive partner for Nurse will keep him to his physical strengths in his own zone and less on lugging the puck. If any of the prospects can’t push Russell-Benning out of 3rd pairing do they stay prospects. That’s what Nurse-Benning had to do 3 years ago

That's really bold... That pairing would be leaking chances like crazy in my book. I hope you're right.

We have 1 decent 1D (Klef), 2 average to good 2D (Nurse, Larrson) and treasure trove of 3D.

Personally I think Klef, Nurse and Benning are worth a cup of coffee. Larsson too if he is able to bounce back. I don't see us breaking in these prospects properly currently because if any of our top 3 D get injured everyone is playing way over their heads on a thinly talented blue line. It is basically what has sunk us the last 2 seasons along with secondary scoring.

I'd be shocked if Bouchard even makes the big club on a consistent this year. I think he could play as a 7th D PP specialist and do great but that might not be best for his development. We really need Benning and Nurse to take a big step right now.

 

[Porkleaker]

Need to see what the prospects can actually do before you just trade them away, D has been a huge weakness on the team for ages and now that we've finally got some decent looking prospects you want to trade them? No way, I wanna see them play in the NHL when Klef or others inevitably get injured and properly assess their value, relying on scouting is a bad idea given this teams scouting history.

 

[oilexport]

So how we gonna fit 4 or 5 prospects that look to break into the league ? Trade 1 or 2 for a winger, that's how. Were gonna waste all that talent, which we dont need. Pick the b prospects out of the half dozen we got, and deal them for same on the wings.

I'll buy the argument about keeping our crappy vets....for now

I think I may be a couple months early with this line of thinking, but these extra surplus assets are needed on the wings. I'm sure 97 would agree...

 

[Aceboogie]

Not even comparable to our current pipeline. Like at all.

Your right. Lets thrust all our D prospects into the NHL with no vet support