Defense
The crop of defensemen this year is led by NHL Draft Picks who are all off enjoying NHL Rookie and Training Camps, and will not be around for the first couple weeks. Blake Fiddler fresh off of being selected in the early second round is impressing scouts at Seattle’s rookie camp, and Parker Alcos is attending Vancouver Canucks camp for the second year. That suggests that the Oil Kings will be down at least 2 of their top defenders for the immediate future.
This will make the right side of the defense a spot of concern in their absence, but the players that are still in Edmonton will have every opportunity to make the most of it. Josh Lee will be the top name on that side, and will get a chance to see how well he can play against some higher level competition after spending most of last year protected on the bottom pairing. Over-age returnee Niko Tsakumis should be in the mix through the year as well and is not to be overlooked, he has a grit and toughness to his game that makes him tough to play against. Tsakumis is a left shot defender, so playing on the right side is not his natural side but he can adapt. Rookie Kayson Anderson should get an extended look to start the season, as this will be a chance that he otherwise may not have if both Fiddler and Alcos were around. The list of right handed defenders ends there, as both Holden Wouters and Chris Kokkoris have been sent down to the CSSHL already, which could suggest that they will be relying on a left shot defender to play their off-side to start the year.
The left side is loaded with talent, so there are plenty of options to play that side of the ice. Ethan MacKenzie was released from his Amateur tryout with the Minnesota Wild, and should be back in time to make the opening night roster. Noa Ta’amu has impressed in the offseason at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and seems poised to have a big year. Rhys Pederson is still on the team, and has been a reliable piece on the backend for the last 3 years, with improved stats each year suggesting he is becoming very comfortable in his role.
2024 1st Round pick of the US Import Draft, Matheas Hejda, is the son of former NHL player Jan Hejda (Edmonton, Columbus, Colorado). He has had a very steady preseason and looks to follow in Ta’amu’s footsteps as a top picked US-born defender to make the roster. Ryan Gower was acquired in a trade from the Prince Albert Raiders last season, but only drew into 4 games for the Oil kings after the trade. He’s still hanging around, but looks like he may be the odd one out on the blueline to start the year.
The defense will be a major strong point once Fiddler and Alcos return, but until then the Oil Kings young crop of defenders will be tasked with weathering whatever storm is thrown their way. This is how I expect the defense to look to start the year.
| Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|
| Ethan MacKenzie | Josh Lee |
| Noa Ta'amu | Niko Tsakumis |
| Rhys Pederson | Kayson Anderson |
Fiddler and Alcos will immediately upgrade these pairs on their return, and allow Tsakumis a chance to shift back to his more natural left side. If these pairings can hold opposing teams in check without those 2, then the Oil Kings can become a true shutdown team once their stars come home.