The Edmonton Oilers and their preseason are effectively underway, and followers have begun to see among the new items the crew added throughout the offseason, in addition to some prospects who may very well be an enormous a part of their future. Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson have been two huge additions who’re anticipated to bolster the top-six ahead group heading into the 2024-25 marketing campaign.
One other participant they introduced in, to the dismay of many followers who take note of analytics, was defender Josh Brown. Brown spent the earlier season with the Arizona Coyotes, who are actually the Utah Hockey Membership, and was broadly considered as one of many weakest defensive-minded gamers within the NHL. Nevertheless, the Oilers gave him a recent alternative with a three-year contract, regardless of his analytics wanting fairly weak.
Josh Brown, signed 3x$1M by EDM, is a depth defenceman. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/401aXuAdsM
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2024
Brown, who’s a right-shot defender, signed his new cope with a $1 million cap hit over three seasons. Proper-shot defenders are exhausting to return by, and it exhibits with the shortage of depth the Oilers have on the correct aspect of their blue line this season. Whereas Evan Bouchard broke out in an enormous means offensively final season and Ty Emberson is enjoying effectively sufficient to justify putting him on the second pairing this season, the bottom-pairing is a toss-up.
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Brett Kulak will seemingly be enjoying on the left aspect on the bottom-pairing, however his accomplice may very well be Brown, Troy Stecher, or Travis Dermott, relying on who has the very best exhibiting throughout the preseason. To date, Brown has been severely underwhelming.
The main points with Brown’s sport are his inconsistent defensive capacity and his decision-making within the defensive zone. His lack of ability to repair his points because the preseason rolls alongside has many followers questioning if he’s your best option for a contending crew trying to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise historical past. Within the 6-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday (Sept. 23) in one of many split-squad matchups, Brown had one shot on objective and didn’t look nice in any respect. If he can’t discover a method to achieve some confidence and show himself worthy of the bottom-pairing to open the 2024-25 season, he ought to be despatched all the way down to the American Hockey League (AHL) to start out the marketing campaign.
Troy Stecher and Travis Dermott Would Be Higher Choices
The Oilers re-signed Stecher to a two-year extension and introduced Dermott on a Skilled Tryout Contract in hopes of making some inside competitors throughout coaching camp. Primarily based on how unhealthy Brown has checked out camp to this point, each Stecher and Dermott can be higher choices for the ultimate spot on the blue line to open the season. Stecher is a shutdown defender who has confirmed himself to be helpful in a depth function, whereas Dermott has a historical past beneath head coach Kris Knoblauch and as a connection to captain Connor McDavid; they performed collectively within the Ontario Hockey League with the Erie Otters, and Dermott has been a stable two-way depth defender.
The Oilers might additionally maintain out till the 2025 Commerce Deadline, make the most of seven defensemen whereas enjoying the very best six each evening, and make a splash for a stronger right-shot defender who has confirmed himself to be reliable in a bigger function. If Emberson proves to be a helpful addition defensively alongside Darnell Nurse, they might not have to fret as a lot, however they nonetheless have some points to cope with if Brown does find yourself being the bottom-pairing defender on opening evening.
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