Massive shake-up Edmonton Oilers as Babcock demotes high-priced veteran, breaks up failing line

This in from Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now, major moves from Edmonton coach Mike Babcock, as seen with the new lines and pairings from the Edmonton Oilers practice.

Mattias Ekholm is back from injury on the top pair with Evan Bouchard, veteran Jake Walman has been demoted off his pairing with Ty Emberson and replaced with newcomer Shakir Mukhamadullin, and the failing checking line of Owem Michaels, Alex Formenton and Mathieu Joseph has been broken up.

Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl
Dach/Jones-RNH-Kapanen
Formenton/Hallander-Michaels-Frederic
Joseph-Dickinson-Howard

Ekholm-Bouchard
Shea-Murphy
Mukhamadullin-Emberson
Walman-Janmark*

Jarry
Tomkins

1. First off, glad to see Mattias Ekholm has shrugged off the first concussion of his career and is back with Bouchard. He’s a critical player for the Oilers, a big part of the success of the McDavid-Draisaitl line, and he would be dearly missed if he was out for long.

2. No d-man on the Oilers has leaked a higher rate of Grade A shots than Jake Walman this year. He’s made mistakes on 2.43 per page at even strength (15 minutes ES), far worse than any other d-man.

Walman is an enigmatic players. He’s done well two years in a row in the playoffs, but this is his second year in a row where he’s been inconsistent in the regular season, with too many inept plays leading to Grade A and five-alarm shots against.

At the same time, the Oilers are trying to find out what hey have in Mukhamadullin, who has also been inconsistent. Big Muk fight in well with Evan Bouchard against the Red Wings, but he was awful with Emberson against Toronto. It’s a risk putting Muk and Emberson together, as neither of them is a strong puckmover.

3 One of Babcock’s two favourite lines this year has been the checking line of newcomers Formenton, Michaels and Joseph. It hasn’t worked out. For one thing the line has given up too many goals against for a checking line. For another, the trio lacks the skill, size and power to play heavy, forechecking, cycling hockey in the offensive end.

Formenton and Joseph have created off the rush, but while Michaels has been OK on defence, he’s got little offensive game at this point.

The line has been out-scored five goals for, nine against at even strength, and was due to get broken up given the lack of chemistry.

4. The new line of Dickinson, Joseph and Howard is an interesting one, in that it has a strong defender in Dickinson, who is again back from injury, speed and checking in Joseph, and a greater shooter and enthusiastic hustler in Howard. It strikes me as more of third line than a fourth line. But it also might lack some heft to play that heavy o-zone hockey Babcock craves from his line.

5. A line of Hallander, Michaels and Frederic lacks the skill needed to mount much of an attack. All due respect, I don’t see it working, not even as a fourth line. At this point, Michaels could benefit from some time working on his cycling, forechecking and offensive game in the AHL. That said, Babcock loves the player’s solid defence and right shot face-off capabilities.

6. On the right side of the Oilers defence, there is all world d-man Evan Bouchard. After that, however, Connor Murphy and Ty Emberson are similar players, solid, physical defenders but weak puck movers.

I know there’s been much talk of Edmonton picking up another forward in a trade later this year, but I’m starting to think that when Matt Savoie returns, and if everyone else is healthy, the real need will be seen as another puck-moving, second-pairing right shot d-man.

You heard it here first. But you’re going to hear this a lot from others in the next few months as it becomes apparent that the puck-moving from Murphy and Emberson needs an upgrade. Maybe one of two left shot players in Bako, Damien Carfagna or Tomas Cibulka, could get the job done. Proper due diligence would mean they should both get a shot at replacing Emberson before the trade deadline.