Edmonton GM branded a 'loser' for failing Oilers at trade deadline, but how things have changed
No sooner was the NHL trade deadline over this past March than a majority of NHL pundis and many Oilers fan labelled GM Stan Bowman and his Edmonton Oilers a 'loser.'
Commentator after commentator gave the Oilers a failing grade for not doing more to improve the team at that critical time.
How is that negative assessment looking now?
Not so good, not with deadline acquisition d-man Jake Walman an essential part of Edmonton's astonishing puck-moving defensive group.
Walman is partnering with John Klingberg, a free-agent signed in January, to give the Oilers a strong second-pairing. The two are part of unit that features six defenders all highly skilled at breaking out the puck from Edmonton's end.
On Stanley Cup Final media day Tuesday in Edmonton, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch pointed out that a key to handling Florida's aggressive forecheck is Edmonton's puck-moving d-men.
'They are a good forechecking team,' Knoblauch said of Florida. 'The best way to beat that is good puck movers. And there's one thing about just having a defenseman to be able to just get it out of trouble and get it out of the zone, but if we're continually just getting it out of those zone, we're giving the puck back, and then we have to defend and just defend, defend. It's not a good recipe. .. Our defense have been great at moving the puck.'
Knoblauch continued: 'Fortunately, we made some really good additions, like Stan (Bowman) had the knowledge to know what we needed (at the trade deadline) and to have that depth come in at an important time in this season. We're able to play really well as a group because of the addition of Wallman and Klingberg, the two of them.'
My take is that Walman and Klingberg have helped transform the Oilers and provide the key to beating Florida. Edmonton's vastly improved even strength play in the 2025 playoffs is based on mobile, puck-moving d-men coming together to give the team a new look, so kudos to Evan Bouchard, Brett Kulak, Darnell Nurse, Jake Walman, John Klingberg, Mattias Ekholm and Troy Stecher.
This is becoming clear to most observers now, but it wasn't at all clear in March at the trade deadline. Bowman took a beating in the media and on social media.
The consensus was that Bowman had failed at his biggest job of fixing Edmonton's iffy goaltending situation, nor had he done enough to improve the team in other areas. Some had wanted a top forward to match up with Leon Draisaitl. Others had hoped to see a big, bruising Top 4 d-man who could help break the cycle.
Bowman traded a 1st round pick to San Jose for the unheralded Walman. He also traded a 2nd and a 4th round pick to acquire grinding forwards Trent Frederic and Max Jones from Boston. Walman and Frederic were regarded as solid additions, but Bowman made no big name splash like Dallas bringing in Mikko Rantanen or Florida bringing in both Seth Jones and Brad Marchand.
TSN's Ryan Rishaug reported that deadline day: 'As expected Oilers stand pat on their goaltenders. Add a puck mover on the blue line, a bruiser who can score a bit up front, and depth winger. Still a glaring hole next to 29, they'll hope someone steps up and seizes the opportunity between now and the end of the season, otherwise we'll be seeing a lot of 29&97 together at playoff time.
Many outright declared Bowman a loser, such as former NHLer Jordan Schmaltz: 'They didn't address any of their needs. The backend is very much still a question mark in many ways. Goaltending remains the forefront. No added scoring pieces for the top 6.. McJesus going to have to average 3 points per game when it matters.'
Gary Pearson of the Sportsbook Review also had the Oilers as losers, with their odds of winning the cup declining. 'It would have been much better had the Oilers traded for a bona fide No. 1 goaltender like John Gibson. But that was never a feasible scenario.'
Mark Lazerus of The Athletic also had Edmonton as a loser: 'Dallas went out and added the best player available in Rantanen and locked him up long-term. Colorado went out and added the top rental available in (Brock) Nelson. Edmonton added a solid second-pair defenseman in Walman and a third-line forward in Trent Frederic. If this is an arms race, Edmonton is losing. The Oilers are the defending conference champion and were the preseason favorites to win it all. Now, they look like the fifth-best team in the West.'
And writer Adam Gretz of Yardbarker: 'The bad news is that the Oilers did nothing to address their problematic goaltending situation, so they risk going into the playoffs with a major Achilles heel at the one position that could dramatically change a series or a season.
And writer Zachary Rotman of Fansided: 'The Oilers had to find a way to make a bigger splash than they did.'
Added Hall of Fame hockey writer Terry Jones: 'To win the Stanley Cup the Edmonton Oilers would have to potentially face Dallas (Mikko Rantanen) and Florida (Brad Marchant), both of whom made those MAJOR moves. Oilers made minor moves.'
Negative fan sentiment on social media was best summed up by one Oilers fan, Doppa D @Doppa_D: 'Huge fail by management. Gross… Oilers needed a top 6 winger and a goalie. Managament fumbled this… Another year of having McDavid and Draisaitl wasted.'
Of course, a few fans and pundits differed with the negative consensus, including Matt Larkin of the Daily Faceoff who wrote: 'It doesn't always have to be sexy. The Oilers may not have secured an exciting top-six forward, and the goalie market was too dead to offer any type of meaningful upgrade, but Trent Frederic is a good get for the bottom six, a bruising center who can chip in the odd goal. Jake Walman bolsters the blueline, too.'
And former Oilers player Georges Laraque said: 'Ok, now my Edmonton Oilers did the right move to improve the blueline with Jake Walman.'
And Oilers fan Kevin McCurdy, now a contributor at the Cult of Hockey: 'Playing the devil's advocate here, the Oilers meaningfully improved the team in places that legitimately had holes. They also didn't pay dented prices on stuff. Could it have been better? Sure. Could it have been worse? Oh, hell yeah, and you know it.'
My own take at that time?
I had low expectations, as I didn't know whether or not the Oilers would be able to access the cap money set aside for Evander Kane. It turned out they did, that Kane was too injured to play the rest of the regular season. This opened up cap space that week to bring in Walman, who was widely seen as a bonafide Top 4 d-man in the NHL.
I thought it was also sharp business to pick up Trent Frederic and Max Jones, given the team's need for more size and toughness at forward, but I saw and wrote that the addition of Walman was a near home run.
Would I have liked to have seen a goalie acquired? Definitely. I had reservations about whether the Oilers could win a Cup with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. I had hoped to see a goalie come in who could take Pickard's job and challenge Skinner. But not to be. At the same time, I noted, no NHL team can have it all, and the Oilers had plenty with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The fact was that the Oilers goalies almost always played well when the team played solid and structured defensive hockey in front of them, especially when it came to limiting rush chances, which too often turned into goal rushes against the Oilers.
It seemed to me that If Edmonton could get back to the solid defence is played in the 2024 playoffs against rush chances it had a good chance to win the Cup. That commitment and focus would be the real difference maker for the team as much as any deadline day addition.
I stand by that assessment now.
The Oilers now have the players to win, and the health of the team is sound enough, even with Zach Hyman out and Connor Brown banged up.
If the Oilers can play solid defence against Florida — breaking up the Panthers attack and forecheck with strong backchecking, solid defensive positioning and sound break-out passing — Edmonton will win the series.
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