The Edmonton Oilers head into the 2024-25 season with only one goal: winning the Stanley Cup. This is within reach for the franchise, not only because they made it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season, but also because they did not lose any core pieces this offseason. While the core remains intact, a lot is riding on this season, and the organization’s lack of defensive depth and talent will likely be costly.
Few Defensive Prospects
On the current Oilers roster, there are just two defensemen under 29 years old: Evan Bouchard and Ty Emberson. Bouchard is a borderline top-10 defenseman in the NHL, and Emberson is on his way to becoming a solid second-pairing, defensive defenseman. However, outside of the two 24-year-olds, the Oilers’ defense is aging, and there is minimal talent in the prospect pool in line to fill in.
The Oilers’ top defensive prospect is Beau Akey, a right-shot defenseman who was selected in the second round of the 2023 Draft. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury 14 games into last season while playing for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and had four goals and nine points in those games.
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Akey has begun skating again, but his path to the NHL is unclear. Not only is he right-handed, just like Bouchard and Emberson, but he is just 19 years old. There is reason to believe he will develop into a top-four defenseman. Still, he will need to recover quickly and elevate his offensive game to make a substantial impact in the NHL anytime soon.
The Oilers acquired Paul Fischer from the Blues following the Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg offer sheets, and he, too, could have an impact on the team in the future. Fischer is a 19-year-old defenseman, selected by the Blues with the 138th pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He had 16 points (two goals and 14 assists) in 34 games with Notre Dame last season. He is a great skater and projects to reach the NHL sooner than the typical fifth-round prospect.
Fischer’s path to the NHL will be a bit easier given the Oilers’ lack of youth and talent on the left side of the defense, but that does not mean it will be easy. He stands just 6-foot-1, so he must learn to use his frame once at the professional level. He will also be fighting for a roster spot on the Oilers, a Stanley Cup contender, so some of his positioning and turnover issues that are tolerable in college…
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