Oil Spills: A podcast on the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Journal
Ya know, defence (and maybe an NHL trade deadline deal) wins championships
Episode Notes
The Edmonton Oilers are playing consistently well enough to hold down a position high in the NHL standings thanks to a number of factors, including a much-improved defence.
Oscar Klefbom is leading the NHL in average time-on-ice and looking more and more like a true No. 1 defenceman, while Ethan Bear has been the surprise of the season on the blue line and has fit right in among the Oilers’ top-four blue-liners.
Host Craig Ellingson talks to Hockey Hall of Fame writer Jim Matheson about the Oilers’ defence and about what the team might need to make it a legitimate playoff contender. Immediate answer: A top-six winger and a better third-line centreman, pieces that Oilers GM Ken Holland is surely mulling even though the trade deadline is far off.