Edmonton Oilers making changes to defence, one player singled out to take major step forward

The Oilers relieved and changed out some assistant coaches this season, including defence Coach Paul Coffey. Mark Stuart will take over as the team's blue-line boss, and will be taking over the 1st ranked unit in the NHL.

According to a recent report from Bob Stauffer, the Oilers are expecting to simplify their defence strategies under coach Mark Stuart. Additionally, Stauffer hinted that the team has big expectations for Emberson to take a step forward.

Running a simpler defence with three traditional pairings seems to suggest two things: a simpler style of play, and more consistent defence pairings than last year.

Coach Paul Coffey was always encouraging defenceman to make plays, which is a high-risk and high reward style. It's possible the Oilers now just play a more straightforward direction from their defence coach.

Additionally, Coach Knoblauch frequently changed up pairings last season in search of the best combinations. With 5 veteran defenders in the roster already, that looks less likely to happen this year.

Emberson began to fall out of the lineup late last season in exchange of the veteran Troy Stecher. It seems that at the beginning of the season at least, the Oilers will give Emberson some time to see if the 25 year old can build off of his first full season in the NHL.

The Oilers should still keep the veteran Troy Stecher as an excellent depth option, but it seems the team has higher hopes for Emberson developing well under the 2025-26 style of Oilers defence.