The Edmonton Oilers have been busy this offseason as they gear up for another Stanley Cup run. Their additions of Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson in free agency and Ty Emberson in a trade make them one of the strongest contenders heading toward the new campaign. With Cody Ceci’s and Philip Broberg’s departures in two separate moves, the right side of the Oilers’ blue line doesn’t look as deep as last season. While Emberson is a solid upgrade on Ceci, they could benefit from bringing in another right-shot defender to fill out the third-pairing, or at least create internal competition between Josh Brown, and Troy Stecher, among others.
Related: Oilers’ GM Bowman Credits Kris Knoblauch for Ty Emberson Insight
In a recent article, Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal shed some light on a potential fit for the Oilers heading into camp, as they have been rumoured to be searching for a defender to add on a professional tryout contract (PTO.) As hinted at by The Hockey Writers’ Jim Parsons in his NHL Rumors column, Travis Dermott is someone they have looked into.
‘It is more likely that we could see the likes of Travis Dermott. Yes, he is a lefty but comfortably plays both sides. He was coached by (wait for it) Kris Knoblauch in Erie and was represented in the past by Jeff Jackson. There is a split-squad game with the Flames on the twenty-third. They will need 12 D-men for that. Hmmm.
source – ‘The Leon Draisaitl signing just another example of The Katz Advantage working for the Edmonton Oilers: 9 Things’ – Kurt Leavins – Edmonton Journal – 09/08/2024
Dermott has spent time with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and most recently, the Arizona Coyotes. The 27-year-old left-shot defender played 50 games last season scoring two goals and adding five assists for seven points. Throughout his career, he has scored 16 goals and added 46 assists for 62 points through 329 games. His connection to Knoblauch and Jackson makes him an enticing free agent, and he has played both sides in his career, making him a potentially solid third-pairing guy alongside Brett Kulak.
Oilers Need Defensive-Minded Addition, Dermott Fits The Bill
Oilers fans have often criticized the team’s ability to play consistent defensive hockey over the past few seasons. While last season was a strong showing in every sense and there were no real weaknesses, it’s tough to predict whether they will be able to find strength in their defensive zone with the pairings they have this season. While Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard are one of the strongest pairings in the NHL, it gets worrisome after that. The second pairing is tentatively listed as Darnell Nurse and Emberson, who could work well together, but Emberson’s lack of experience is a concern.
It doesn’t get any better after that. While Kulak has proven himself to be a stable bottom-pairing defender throughout his career, who his partner ends up being this season is up in the air. Stecher and Brown both have a chance to steal that spot and battle on a nightly basis, but it would make more sense to keep the lineup as consistent as possible. Bringing in Dermott would allow for that to happen, and considering he already has a relationship built with the head coach, he would likely be comfortable as soon as he gets into the lineup.
Adding Dermott, a defensive-minded player, would be the perfect partner for Kulak. It’s not that Kulak needs a stronger partner to elevate his game, but the two together could become a strong shutdown pairing. The other benefit of bringing in Dermott is that it would likely only cost the Oilers $775,000 to sign him to a one-year contract. Dermott has waited this long for a deal, so signing at the league minimum seems like a strong possibility for him.
The Oilers should make their intentions clear in the next week or so; whether it’s by camp invites, a trade, or another free agent signing, there should be more clarity soon. Either way, I would expect the Oilers to bring in a defender who has a good shot at cracking the opening-night roster, and Dermott fits the bill.
