Oilers two most likely defenceman to sign on PTO after Barrie joins Calgary Flames

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Noel Drolet
September 4, 2024 (3:19 PM)

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Oilers getting stuck waiting while defensemen get grabbed by other teams.

It's no secret that the Oilers have been in the market for a right shot defenseman to replace the hole left by Cody Ceci. They needed to move on from him since they couldn't afford his cap hit, but it still leaves them without a player to play with Darnell Nurse on the second pairing. Their list of candidates has gotten much shorter because of the PTO offer signed by Tyson Barrie, but they still have 2 players left that can fit the role.

The Oilers have also been linked to Justin Schultz and Kevin Shattenkirk. Both are veteran offensive defensemen who the Oilers could sign for close to league minimum.

Schultz was last on the Seattle Kraken where he logged 26 points in 70 games. He was decent offensively for them in the last season, but isn't good defensively with a -23 for the team.

Kevin Shattenkirk spent last season with the Boston Bruins, picking up 24 points in 61 games played. He was on a much better team defensively, but still finished with a -2.

These 2 would be great options to fill the role, or just to serve as depth at the position. The Oilers still have the option to sign Barrie if they want, although it is very rare for a different team to sign a player that is on a PTO.

All of these players serve the same role, a veteran who would be good to teach the young defenders how to play in the NHL. These are all players who have had long careers and could bring something of value to the Oilers. Schultz and Barrie have even already spent time with the organization, for better or worse.

Whether it's just as depth or as a starting second-pairing player, these would all be good options to have on the team to bolster the strength of the diminished defense corps.