The Edmonton Oilers’ front office shored up the goaltending position this summer, adding Stanley Cup-winning veteran Frederik Andersen and 24-year-old Devon Levi to compete with Tristan Jarry for the crease.
Now, attention turns to new head coach Mike Babcock and what he may be able to do to improve the defensive integrity in front of that trio.
We don’t quite know how the Oilers’ goaltending platoon will shake out, but it’s clear there’s more optionality at the coaching staff’s disposal. What they lack in top-end talent at the position they make up for in depth, and you might see stretches where Babcock rides the proverbial hot hand in net as the Oilers traverse the regular season.
What’s going to be just as important is how the Oilers are going to protect these goaltenders. This is still a team in a Stanley Cup-contending window, but the defensive results – inclusive of the play of the skaters and the ability of goaltenders to routinely make saves – spiralled out of control last season.
That was true at both even strength and on the penalty kill, and, more concerningly, was not solely a goaltending story. Expected goal rates (blind to that of the performance of a goaltender) were considerably up as well, indicative of a lot more defensive zone pressure:
The Oilers lineup, as currently constructed, is intended to play with the puck and, at its best, plays a lightning-fast transition game keyed by the supernovas up front in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
No one is expecting elite defensive play, nor a grind-it-out style that will only serve to inhibit the strength of this roster. But you simply cannot finish with the league’s worst penalty kill (and a bottom-seven even-strength defence) and expect to have championship aspirations.
Small additions with defensive pedigree will help further down the lineup – extending Jason Dickinson was a big deal, and I’m excited for Josh Samanski’s first full-time season with the Oilers. He showed promise in 24 games last season with Edmonton, particularly away from the puck, and I’m anticipating he is given a bigger role in his sophomore season.
But the biggest gains need to be made across the Oilers’ most crucial players, and that starts with McDavid and Draisaitl. This two-headed monster combined to tally 235 points on the season, and yet the team finished with just 93 points in the regular season.
That’s what happens when margins compress due to more regular defensive breakdowns:
One of the stated reasons for the coaching change made this summer was a belief Babcock could have a meaningful impact on the defensive play of this team, citing his impressive results with the Detroit Red Wings who won a Stanley Cup in 2007-08. The counterpoint there is that Babcock’s results didn’t translate in a subsequent stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 10 seasons with the Red Wings, Babcock produced multiple top-five defensive teams, and their average defensive rank was 11th best. His five seasons with the Maple Leafs were a stark contrast: an average defensive rank of 21st , including a bottom-five finish in 2019-20 (where he was fired midseason).
With better results in the defensive third, the Pacific is Edmonton’s division to win. But meaningful improvement will need to be made year over year if the Oilers are going to return as bona fide title contenders.
Data via Natural Stat Trick, NHL.com, Evolving Hockey, Hockey Reference
