The Edmonton Oilers’ blue line is among the weakest in the NHL. It’s no secret.
Buoyed by the team’s overall play during the 2023-24 season, the Oilers’ blue line was routinely exposed by their opposing teams’ top players. Their core often found themselves trapped below their goal line, unable to relieve pressure and transfer the puck to their star teammates. While Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard regularly stood out above the rest, it quickly became clear that if the Oilers wanted to become a more consistent team and one capable of hoisting the Stanley Cup, their defensive core would need to become both deeper and more capable.
In the offseason following their heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers, the Oilers wasted little time overhauling their defense core in search of improvement. Vincent Desharnais inked a contract with the Vancouver Canucks, Cody Ceci was traded to the San Jose Sharks, and Philip Broberg was nabbed by the St. Louis Blues. On the flip side, Ty Emberson was added from the Sharks, and it appears as though Troy Stecher will claim more consistent ice time on the Oilers’ third pairing to begin the coming campaign. However, despite these additions and subtractions, you’d be hard-pressed to find many of the opinion that Edmonton’s new-look defense core is dramatically improved in comparison to last season.
Related: Oilers Defense Will Be Achilles Heel this Season
If the Oilers want to become a more competent and consistent team, and one that can defend well throughout a long season, they’ll need to add to their blue line. As is, their defense core is decent, but as a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, average simply isn’t good enough. With that being said, let’s take a look at five defenders the Oilers should target this season via trade to bolster their blue line.
Brian Dumoulin
2023-24 Team: Seattle Kraken (Current Team: Anaheim Ducks)
Contract: $3.15 Million x One Year
Brian Dumoulin is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, a veteran of more than 700 NHL games, and a reliable defenseman on a cap-friendly contract that expires come the end of this season. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Dumoulin brings great size to the ice and is a mobile and effective skater despite his towering stature. Recently traded to the Anaheim Ducks, he is no stranger to blocking shots or time on the penalty kill and is a minute-munching defender whose poise and confidence with the puck helps to improve the play of the teammate he’s paired with.
Trading for Dumoulin would be an excellent move to bolster the Oilers’ blue line and improve its depth. With two Stanley Cup rings, his presence and leadership would be invaluable to Edmonton in their ongoing search for a championship. And while he doesn’t bring considerable offense to the ice, it’s his calm and consistent play that would benefit the Oilers the most – transitioning the puck to Edmonton’s forwards so they can overwhelm opposing teams with offense while also thwarting scoring chances would make Dumoulin a key piece for the Oilers.
Erik Gudbranson
2023-24 Team: Columbus Blue Jackets
Contract: $4 Million x Two Years
Although he doesn’t play a flashy game, Erik Gudbranson is a solid defenseman who is a terrific leader and makes excellent outlet passes to his teammates. At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, he is a physical force who makes life difficult for opposing teams’ best forwards. Entering the third season of his four-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Gudbranson averaged close to 20 minutes of ice time per game last season and was named as an alternate captain in his second campaign with the team. The third-overall choice in the 2010 NHL Draft, he has skated in more than 800 career NHL games and is as imposing as they come.
With two years remaining on his current contract at a cap hit of $4 million per year, adding Gudbranson could prove to be difficult for the Oilers from a financial perspective. However, if Edmonton could flip a player to Columbus in return who carries a similarly-hefty salary – Evander Kane, for example – a deal between the two clubs could be easier than meets the eye. Adding Gudbranson would give Edmonton a boost of toughness, a characteristic which could be lacking following Desharnais’ departure.
Kaedan Korczak
2023-24 Team: Vegas Golden Knights
Contract: $825,000 x Two Years
The Vegas Golden Knights boast an incredibly deep blue line and one that is arguably among the best in the NHL. However, it’s this embarrassment of riches that could make Kaedan Korczak an expendable asset, as the soon-to-be 24-year-old continues to face stern competition in his hopes of earning a full-time role within the Golden Knights’ defense. During the 2023-24 season, he skated in just 26 games with Vegas, and in those games, he averaged a little more than 16 minutes of ice time. A second-round selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, he is knocking on the door for more games and ice time with the Golden Knights, but a greater opportunity may not be in the cards for him because of their incredible depth.
While it would be no easy task to pry one of the Golden Knights’ most promising young players from their organization, it could be a move that Korczak would welcome were the chance to be a consistent and full-time NHL player with the Oilers on the table. A 6-foot-4 defensive-defenseman, he is a strong skater whose physical play and ability to skate the puck out of trouble would be of tremendous value to Edmonton and their style of play. If the cost to acquire Korczak is nothing more than a draft pick or Oilers prospect in need of a change of scenery, adding the youngster could be a low-risk, high-reward move given his potential and affordable contract.
Nick Leddy
2023-24 Team: St. Louis Blues
Contract: $4 Million x Two Years
A first-round draft pick, Stanley Cup champion, and a veteran of more than 1,000 NHL games, Nick Leddy has incredible experience and remains an impactful two-way defenseman. While his offensive game isn’t as potent as it once was, his ability to transport and deliver the puck to his forwards hasn’t wavered, which is why he still averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time per game with the St. Louis Blues last season. With 130 career playoff games under his belt, he would be an excellent addition for the Oilers.
Like most players on this list, the complication with any potential trade involving Leddy would be his contract. While his annual cap hit isn’t egregious, the Oilers would need to find a way to fit his annual salary into their cap situation. In terms of return, the Blues would surely ask for an asset or more of fair value for him given the two seasons remaining on his current deal. If the two teams could come to a deal, the Oilers would be adding a player perfect for their system and style of play.
Jan Rutta
2023-24 Team: San Jose Sharks
Contract: $2.75 Million x One Year
The Oilers and Sharks are no strangers to one another when it comes to transactions, so perhaps the two clubs could swing another deal while their phones are still warm. After swapping Ceci and Emberson this offseason, the Oilers should have their sights set on Jan Rutta. A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Tampa Bay Lightning and at 34 years old, his career has been long and winding. Fresh off of the best season of his NHL career with the Sharks this past season and with one year remaining on his current contract, it could be the perfect time for the Oilers to bring Rutta into their organization.
A pending unrestricted free agent, the price tag to acquire Rutta from the Sharks certainly wouldn’t be a high one. As a team set on acquiring draft picks and prospects to complement their rebuild, the Sharks could be content with a simple draft pick from Edmonton in exchange for the Czech native. While this trade could be more likely to occur at the 2025 Trade Deadline rather than before the start of the season, adding the 6-foot-3 and 200-pound defender would add instant depth and defensive prowess to the Oilers’ blue line.
Who’s the Top Target?
While the Oilers would clearly benefit from the addition of these five defenders, their top target during the 2024-25 season should be none other than Korczak. With great size and defensive instincts, he would inject immediate poise and composure into Edmonton’s thin blue line. Plus, at just 23 years old and with an affordable contract over the next two seasons, he could very well develop into a reliable and long-term piece for the Oilers in the years ahead. A native of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, a move to Edmonton and an increase in playing time could be exactly what he needs to become a regular NHL player.
