Oilers Coach Knoblauch Shakes Up Defence Pairings at Oilers Practice After Struggles in Game 1

Today at practice, Coach Knoblauch shook up the defence pairings significantly. Recent signing Travis Dermott will be moved up to the top four with Darnell Nurse, and Ty Emberson will be bumped down to the third pair with Brett Kulak.

The Oilers second and third defence pairings can work interchangeably, so it's not much of a promotion or demotion, but getting a different look of partners. Travis Dermott is a decent puck mover and quick skater, which can perhaps help out when Nurse is pinching up in the play.

Ty Emberson struggled a bit in his first regular season game with the Oilers. Emberson came to the team as a highly touted young player he has only played 31 NHL games. Pairing Emberson with Kulak will give the younger defender more room to play freely and be covered by the safety net of the veteran.

Troy Stecher is still sitting on the sidelines for now, but that may not be the case for long. Out of all the Oilers depth options, Stecher is the most experienced with 494 NHL games. If the struggles on the back end persist, they'll surely turn to get a look at how Stecher can contribute.

The Oilers took a gut punch with the 6-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets in the home opener, but they have a great opportunity to bounce back against a rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks team tomorrow night. The defence needs to improve, but the forwards need to score a goal too.