Oilers' back-end looks sharp with addition of Walman, return of Ekholm

Utah Hockey Club's Lawson Crouse (67) is stopped by Edmonton Oilers' goalie Calvin Pickard (30) as Jake Walman (96) defends during third period NHL action in Edmonton on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

EDMONTON — EDMONTON — With a series of trades, the return of an important player and some moves on the blue line, the Edmonton Oilers might have fixed their back end.

Tuesday's 7-1 blowout over Utah Hockey Club showcased some depth scoring to counteract the end of Leon Draisaitl's 18-game point streak, but also some stability on a blue line the Oilers have said they will need for the playoffs.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself too early, but after the break we were rock bottom, we played terrible, we were getting outplayed tremendously," said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. "But we've been getting better and better and it started with our team defence and eliminating chances of the rush. And once you play better defensively, things will work better offensively.

"You saw that (last) night. The way we were back checking, creating turnovers, countering. So we've been getting better these past couple weeks, but certainly more room to go."

The improved performance led to the suggestion that newly acquired defenceman Jake Walman, could be deployed right-side along Darnell Nurse, an idea he seems open to.

"I'm comfortable with that. I think there's opportunities that open up when you're on your off-side," added Walman, who's a left-shot, traditionally left-side defenceman, but has embraced the expectations placed on him north of the border.

"You always want to be ready. There's that standard here, you can feel it just when you walk into the room. I'm excited to be a part of it."

The Oilers say they are "excited" to have him. Almost as much as Mattias Ekholm is excited to be back.

“It’s hard to watch on TV. You want to be part of it. Especially during the stretch coming down here,” Ekholm said.

The left side defencemen returned from injury just in time to help propel the Oilers to open a four-game homestand with a win.

"He's an exceptional penalty killer, so when he's not there, that's a huge whole," Knoblauch said of Ekholm.

It's not that Knoblauch feels the Oilers penalty kill struggled terribly without Ekholm, but the Swede left a big hole that needed some big shoes to fill.

Ekholm logged a goal and two assists in his "transition" game against Utah, his first since returning from an illness and undisclosed lower-body injury sustained March 4 against the Anaheim Ducks. He also helped guide a defensively struggling Evan Bouchard, who had an assist, on the top defensive pairing.

That was the value the Oilers have felt Ekholm could bring to the lineup — a guy that can direct players into the slot and manage the rest of the blue line.

"He's able to defend extremely well, but also get Leon (Draisaitl) and Connor (McDavid) on good breakout passes," Knoblauch explained.

"He's a guy that's able to play other teams top units, as a shutdown guy. But able to also play with our top guys and be able to transfer the puck. He's a not make a mistake kind of guy."

Looking into what the Oilers hope is another long playoff stretch, a "not make a mistake guy" should be a key factor in leading the defence as the team looks to transitioning from a 3-3-0 start to March — which included a loss to the lowly Buffalo Sabres — into the team that now sits four points out of top spot in the Pacific Division.

"The six of us as a group, as we continue to get more and more chemistry and mesh, it's really exciting to look at our back end and be a part of it," Nurse said.

Nurse showed he could again a beast on the blue line after winning a fight against Jack McBain with seconds left and two goals up in the first period.

"I was just hitting, nothing really (going on)," Nurse said.

There's no guarantee that the rowdy performance will carry on, but it brings back some of that physicality Knoblauch has been talking about for weeks.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025.

Caprice St. Pierre, The Canadian Press