FanPost

Clog in the Defensive Pipeline

Bruce Bennett

For a few years now we've heard, read and talked about how the Defenceman Shelf in the Oilers Prospect Store is stocked full. Well as much talent and potential as there appears to be in the development system, I feel like there is a very real and apparent problem; one which I was hoping the team would fix at this past draft.

Let's take a look at the defencemen currently in the Oilers System with less than a complete NHL season under their belt (as per capgeek):

-Martin Marincin

-Oscar Klefbom

-Darnell Nurse

-David Musil

-Dillon Simpson

-Jordan Oesterle

-Martin Gernat

-Brandon Davidson

-Brad Hunt

What do all of these guys have in common besides the obvious defensive prospects of the Edmonton Oilers?

Every single one of them shoot left. Even if we look to the unsigned defencemen drafted by the Oilers at the last three drafts (William Lagesson, 2014; Ben Betker, 2013; Erik Gustafsson, 2012; Joey Laleggia, 2012) they all shoot left handed.

Now I get that a bit too much merit is put into which way a guy swings his stick, but what is important is which side of the ice they are more comfortable playing on and for the most part players grow up and learn playing on the side of the ice that they swing their stick on.

There are a few guys in the system such as Dillon Simpson who have grown up playing on the right and more who have spent the last few years in OkC playing the right side, but that's largely just due to the logistical reasoning of SOMEBODY had to. Even if those guys have learned to play on their off hand sufficiently and they make it into the NHL, a little diversity would never be a bad thing.

At this time it isn't a huge issue as the Oilers currently have Mark Fayne, Jeff Petry and Justin Schultz (if he ever signs a contract) in the system. But as mentioned Schultz is without a contract at this present time and Petry is only on a single year deal.

I had really hoped that the team would trade up in the draft to get Ekbla...I mean Jack Dougherty or Jack Glover. Both of those guys have spent time in the USNDP and are off to the NCAA for a few years developing without needing a contract and out of the public eye. Both of those guys were built in much a similar mould as the aforementioned Ekblad (with less weight) and in my own opinion have potential to develop into a similar player. When both those guys had gone I had really hoped that a guy closer to home may fall to the Oilers, when the Oilers made it back to the podium in the 4th round I had high hopes that they would pick Memorial Cup Champion, Edmonton Oil King Dysin Mayo. And yet they went ahead and draft left shot Swedish defenseman Lagesson. I'm not goning to profess to know that Mayo would have been a better selection or will be better player, but I had high hopes for him and was awful dissappointed when the Oilers left the draft floor without a right shot rear guard.

This is definitely something I'll be watching for in the next draft, and will likely spend the season looking to see if any near NHL ready prospects could be traded away from their current teams. Is the way you shoot the end all be all? No, but variety is still the spice of life.

Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts.

-@WildcatOil

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