The Edmonton Oilers off-season may have been the busiest, from a quick turnaround between Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals to the draft, free agency, trades and offer sheets.
While they shuffled the deck at every position beyond the crease, the team knows they still have work to do.
Their defence will see a new look next season, with the departing Vincent Desharnais, Cody Ceci and Philip Broberg replaced by Ty Emberson, Troy Stecher, Josh Brown and other depth pieces. But the Oilers aren’t going to be done adding.
On Friday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman spoke about how that might come before the season starts, with free agent defenceman Kevin Shattenkirk expressing interest in joining the Oilers.
“You know who I heard would potentially be interested in playing there? Kevin Shattenkirk,” Friedman said. “That’s an example of what we were talking about, how Edmonton is coming off the list of where people want to go.
“I’ve heard that Shattenkirk would love to be a part of that Oiler team, if there’s a spot for him.”
This isn’t the first time his name has been linked to the Oilers, as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli linked him, Justin Schultz, Tyson Barrie and later Tony DeAngelo to the team as potential blue line additions ahead of training camp.
Shattenkirk, 35, spent last season with the Boston Bruins, enjoying a strong season for a team that dealt with significant injuries heading into the season. The offensive defenceman continued to put up points as he has throughout his career, scoring six goals and 24 points in 61 games. A pair of those goals and nine points came on the power play, and it’s safe to say he would have limited opportunities to produce there in Edmonton.
As highlighted by Hockey Viz, he provided solid impacts on the game, driving even-strength offence at a four percent rate above league average and defence at a three percent rate below league average. Most of his impacts, which slotted him in as a first-pairing defenceman last year despite playing third-pairing minutes, came on the power play, driving play at a 10 percent rate above league average.
While he’s been a solid defensive player in the past, his own zone impacts have continuously fallen since his time with the St. Louis Blues ended partway through the 2016-17 season when he was traded to the Washington Capitals. Despite that, his underlying numbers in terms of expected goal share, actual goal share and scoring chance share were solid last season with the Bruins, who have long been a strong defensive team.
Of the group mentioned above, Barrie has already landed on a professional tryout with the Flames, taking him out of the picture as a training camp option for the Oilers. Shattenkirk, Schultz and DeAngelo are still without homes.
Shattenkirk is likely the best fit of the three, given his ability to still produce good defensive results, while driving offence. That’s the kind of player the Oilers would be looking for in terms of further adds to their blue line.
