The Edmonton Oilers need to enhance defensively, because it all can’t fall on the goaltending
Each day Faceoff: David Pagnotta on the The Sheet with Jeff Marek in regards to the Edmonton Oilers struggles, and that goaltending will not be the major issue, and what they could be trying to do. Team defense has been an enormous issue. Improving the defensive side of things may take precedence over offense.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Pagnotta: “I’ve been saying this for all season, because I used to be told within the offseason, that the priority for this team going into this 12 months was defense. And never exclusive to the D core, just overall team defense. It’s been lagging, and it’s been lacking. And it’s an enormous reason, for my part, why they’ve struggled of their zone and why it looks just like the goaltending at times looks awful.
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Once they’ve been healthier. They they really got things going. They played a more structured game. Once they had Jarry are available in, everybody was clicking on all cylinders. After which eventually that shifted, since it didn’t appear to be sustainable. And clearly it’s not.
I feel Stan Bowman, I do know there’s a variety of talk of top-six guy and top-six guy, I feel they’re more focused on bringing in a body on that back end that has (Mattias) Ekholm capabilities from yesteryear.
Since he had that surgery, still very reliable defenseman, but he’s not the identical variety of player he was that made him so helpful and so worthy on that, high value. Actual words escaping me, but priceless is effectively it. They need anyone as a shutdown variety of defenseman that they, that I wouldn’t be surprised in the event that they, if they appear so as to add ahead of the deadline.
After which anyone in that mid-six that may play a powerful two-way style, that might help. Now, obviously, they don’t have cap space, so moving (Andrew) Mangiapane goes to be one in all them. I’m very curious as to how they go about this. Perhaps that center is the Nic Roy in Toronto that perhaps are searching for, or one other piece elsewhere.
But I feel it’s more focused on the defensive form of hockey versus having so as to add any more offense and fire to that roster, because a switch, and Leon and Connor just handle all the pieces themselves.”
Marek: “And never, I’m surprised that the Mangiapane thing has gone on so long as it has. I’ll be honest with you.”
Pagnotta: “Me too.”
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Marek: “I assumed, I assumed this might have been handled weeks, weeks ago, and for whatever reason it’s, it’s still there for the Edmonton Oilers. That’s why they proceed to be some of the interesting teams to cover.”
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