The Edmonton Oilers and their preseason are well underway, and fans have begun to see some of the new pieces the team added during the offseason, as well as some prospects who could be a big part of their future. Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson were two massive additions who are expected to bolster the top-six forward group heading into the 2024-25 campaign.
Another player they brought in, to the dismay of many fans who pay attention to analytics, was defender Josh Brown. Brown spent the previous season with the Arizona Coyotes, who are now the Utah Hockey Club, and was widely viewed as one of the weakest defensive-minded players in the NHL. However, the Oilers gave him a fresh opportunity with a three-year contract, despite his analytics looking quite weak.
Josh Brown, signed 3x$1M by EDM, is a depth defenceman. #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/401aXuAdsM
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2024
Brown, who is a right-shot defender, signed his new deal with a $1 million cap hit over three seasons. Right-shot defenders are hard to come by, and it shows with the lack of depth the Oilers have on the right side of their blue line this season. While Evan Bouchard broke out in a big way offensively last season and Ty Emberson is playing well enough to justify placing him on the second pairing this season, the bottom-pairing is a toss-up.
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Brett Kulak will likely be playing on the left side on the bottom-pairing, but his partner could be Brown, Troy Stecher, or Travis Dermott, depending on who has the best showing during the preseason. So far, Brown has been severely underwhelming.
The major issues with Brown’s game are his inconsistent defensive ability and his decision-making in the defensive zone. His inability to fix his issues as the preseason rolls along has many fans questioning if he is the best choice for a contending team looking to win their sixth Stanley Cup in franchise history. In the 6-1 loss to the Calgary Flames on Monday (Sept. 23) in one of the split-squad matchups, Brown had one shot on goal and did not look great at all. If he can’t find a way to gain some confidence and prove himself worthy of the bottom-pairing to open the 2024-25 season, he should be sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) to start the campaign.
Troy Stecher and Travis Dermott Would Be Better Options
The Oilers re-signed Stecher to a two-year extension and brought Dermott on a Professional Tryout Contract in hopes of creating some internal competition during training camp. Based on how bad Brown has looked at camp so far, both Stecher and Dermott would be better options for the final spot on the blue line to open the season. Stecher is a shutdown defender who has proven himself to be useful in a depth role, while Dermott has a history under head coach Kris Knoblauch and as a connection to captain Connor McDavid; they played together in the Ontario Hockey League with the Erie Otters, and Dermott has been a solid two-way depth defender.
The Oilers could also hold out until the 2025 Trade Deadline, utilize seven defensemen while playing the best six every night, and make a splash for a stronger right-shot defender who has proven himself to be trustworthy in a larger role. If Emberson proves to be a useful addition defensively alongside Darnell Nurse, they may not have to worry as much, but they still have some issues to deal with if Brown does end up being the bottom-pairing defender on opening night.
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