Entering the 2025-2026 season, the Edmonton Oilers return all seven of their defenseman from last year's Stanley Cup final team and it presents options for head coach Kris Knoblauch. While Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm are likely to reunite, past the Oilers first pair, there are question marks about who plays with who. Host Nick Zararis makes a case for pairing Darnell Nurse with Jake Walman and why the Oilers should give Ty Emberson a serious chance to stick at the NHL level 

 

0:00 Intro: Oilers defense preview for upcoming season

4:39 Core players and building a championship team

11:46 Analyzing potential defensive pairings

15:51 Ekholm-Bouchard pairing and performance stats

20:26 Strengths of Oilers' veteran-laden defense

24:29 Key questions for Oilers defense this season

28:02 Outro: Preview of next episode on goaltending

Projecting the Edmonton Oilers defense | Why Darnell Nurse is the x-factor 

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