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One of the reasons the Oilers were able to march back to the Stanley Cup Final was a defensive group so deep it was able to survive an injury to
Mattias Ekholm, a top-pair star. That was made possible by the addition of
Jake Walman, a lower-lineup luxury who gave the Oilers a heavy advantage in easier minutes.
Edmonton's group is a strong mix of offensive mobility and defensive suppression throughout, led by
Evan Bouchard - a no-doubt franchise defenseman. This is a huge position of strength, one that could be parlayed into fixing an area of need elsewhere.
- The Athletic