Oilers deploying new first defence pairing after Bouchard struggles

Current reports show that Knoblauch has pulled the first D-pairing of Bouchard and Ekholm from the front lines, and replaced them with Nurse and Walman, who may not necessarily be an improvement.

The move from the coach to play Bouchard (minus-7) and Ekholm (minus-6) less is a clear indication that he's lost trust in their ability to shut-down key opponents, at least 5v5.

Not only is the Nurse/Walman pairing getting more ice time now, they also seem to be primarily paired with McDavid's line.

Despite their decent offensive numbers, they are liabilities when on the ice together, accounting for more goals against than for.

On too many occasions this season, the Oilers have allowed a bad-turnover that has resulted in the game winning goal for the opposition, often late in the game.

Incidentally, Darnell Nurse's goal differential is minus-6, while Jake Walman is the only from the top-4 with a plus rating (plus-2).

Edmonton's 5v5 defense as a whole has not been very good this year, a key factor in its struggle to produce points consistently, despite high pre-season expectations. Defensive lapses causing turnovers and high-danger chances against are far too many for the coach's liking.

As a result, the team's even-strength play has dropped to its worst since the 2014-15 season.

Both Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse have been benched in recent games, another indication the coach is not happy with his top-blueliners.

However, the recent adjustment in defensive assignments could turn out well for Edmonton; it allows the Bouchard and Ekholm pairings to see opposing players from lower down in the depth chart, allowing each D-man to focus on his strengths.