Oilers GM wants young defence corps to 'evolve a bit'

Peter Chiarelli lauded Anaheim and Nashville for their elite defence corps before telling reporters "we're not there yet."

Well, they're further along than in recent years when one of the biggest criticisms of the Edmonton Oilers by some was the NHL team's penchant for drafting forwards first overall when there was a clear need on the blue-line.

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Chiarelli, fresh off his second season as Oilers general manager, changed course last June when he traded forward and 2010 first overall pick Taylor Hall to New Jersey for defenceman Adam Larsson. 

"I think he's only scratched the surface," said Chiarelli of Larsson, the fourth overall pick from 2011, said at the time.

Larsson, 24, set a career high with four goals during the regular season to go with 19 points and a plus-21 rating that was tops among Edmonton defencemen.

From there, said Chiarelli, Larsson formed a promising pair with second-year rearguard Darnell Nurse while 22-year-old Matt Benning partnered with veteran Kris Russell.

"There's still an element of growth in our D," Chiarelli said during Tuesday's news conference. "You've got some young D and you've got young D that added terrific experience in these playoffs.

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"There's room for growth and we have to allow space for that. I'd like it to evolve a bit. I do see probably two of the best D corps in our conference playing now [in the West final] in Anaheim and Nashville. It'd be nice to have a D at that level."

First things first.

Chiarelli revealed defenceman Andrej Sekera, who's under contract through 2021, has a torn anterior cruciate ligament and will be sidelined six to nine months. The 30-year-old was injured in Game 5 of Round 2 against Anaheim when Ducks centre Ryan Getzlaf hit him hard into the boards.

Russell, also 30, averaged 22 minutes of ice time in the playoffs but is a pending unrestricted free agent. Chiarelli said top forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisait, who led the Oilers with 16 points in the post-season, are his top signing priorities this summer.

"I want to have Kris back," said the GM. "I thought he was really good for our team the way he approaches the game, the way he battles, his poise, his skating."

Overall, Chiarelli is pleased with the strides the team made this season, finishing second to Anaheim in the Pacific Division with a 47-26-9 record, including an 8-2 mark in its final eight regular-season contests and securing its first playoff berth since 2006.

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Edmonton head coach says it's another opportunity for the team to gain experience.

"I had us in and around the playoffs," said Chiarelli of his pre-season expectations. "What happens is the team starts developing an identity and feeling good about yourself and that's what you saw at the end [of the regular season]. The uptick at the end was a bonus."

Some other highlights from Chiarelli's 25-minute discussion Thursday:

On forward Jordan Eberle's zero-goal playoffs after a 51-point regular season:

"He was our third-leading scorer [in the regular season]. He creates space in his own way because he's quick and smart. I know there were some things from his game that were [in] the spotlight in a negative fashion, but he's a guy in the playoffs for the first time and I liked the way he finished."

On the Oilers' projected $22 million salary cap space for next season:

"We're okay for next year. It's the following year when Mr. McDavid's contract [that is expected to be agreed upon this summer] will kick in, so I have to be cognizant of that. We certainly want the resources to put another contending team in place."

On having a late first-round draft pick in June, but no second-rounder:

"We have two third [round selections] and two fifths. We'll see what the draft board looks like late in the first round. … If [a trade inquiry] comes across my lap close to our pick in the first, we may look to trade down and get another pick in the second [round]."