The Edmonton Oilers’ blue line has been a game of musical chairs for weeks — injuries, rotating partners, and constant shuffling have defined their defensive corps. With Mattias Ekholm sidelined by a lower-body injury for the entire first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, the Oilers have had no choice but to improvise nightly.
While the Kings have enjoyed steady defensive pairs like Vladislav Gavrikov-Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty-Joel Edmundson, the Oilers have had to mix and match. Morning skates often show one look, only for things to change by puck drop.
Defensive coach Paul Coffey has handled the turbulence with a sense of humor. “I think Paul is just trying to mess with you guys,” joked Jake Walman, who has become a Swiss army knife on the back end since arriving at the trade deadline, playing both sides alongside Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, Brett Kulak — and now, John Klingberg.
Klingberg’s story is one of resilience. After undergoing major hip resurfacing surgery and suffering a painful foot injury after a blocked shot, Klingberg missed 20 of the Oilers’ final 21 games down the stretch. His absence wasn’t just injury-related; cap constraints placed him on long-term injured reserve, mandating a 10-game, 24-day absence.
Entering the postseason, Klingberg was seen as a depth option, perhaps behind Troy Stecher and Ty Emberson. But in the last two games against Los Angeles, he’s looked anything but a spare part.
In Game 2, Klingberg delivered a slick assist on a Leon Draisaitl redirection goal in Los Angeles. In Game 3 back in Edmonton, he logged nearly 18 minutes — including over 12 minutes paired with Walman. The results were impressive: the Oilers generated six shots and conceded only two when the Klingberg-Walman duo was on the ice, dominating shot attempts by a 27-11 margin.
For an Oilers defence that desperately needed a steadying hand without Ekholm, Klingberg’s resurgence couldn’t have come at a better time.
If he can keep this level of play up, Edmonton’s patchwork blue line might just hold firm long enough to make a real postseason run.
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