3 Candidates On Oilers Roster to ‘Match the Mean’ of Sam Bennett

If there’s one area where experts sense the Florida Panthers might have an edge over the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s in the meanness department. With Matthew Tkachuk and Brad Marchand well-known as pests, the Panthers also have Sam Bennett. Sean Brown recently suggested Bennett might be the meanest player in the NHL and wondered if the Oilers had someone to match his level.

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Speaking on Sports 1440, Brown argued, “There’s not a lot of guys in the league that are mean and will try to knock you out of a series, Sam Bennett is that guy. The Oilers have tough guys but does Edmonton have the guys to match the mean?”

Let’s take a look at three candidates:

Evander Kane

Evander Kane was the obvious choice to come up, and Brown agreed Kane was tough, perhaps tougher than Bennett. The question was about how mean Kane can be. He’s intimidating and he’ll answer the call, but he doesn’t necessarily take runs at guys or try to knock them out of a game or a series like Bennett will.

So too, Kane will likely have his hands full with trying to intimidate Matthew Tkachuk. In the past, Kane has been successful at limiting Tkachuk’s effectiveness in a playoff series. He’ll likely try again. Asking Kane to do that with two people is a big ask.

Darnell Nurse

Nurse has a nasty streak in him, as was evident by his slash to Roope Hintz‘s foot in the series with Dallas. Some will argue that he intended to injure Hintz (which I don’t buy), but Nurse isn’t above running someone or going after a sore spot. If it hurts or takes a guy out, so be it.

Can Nurse do his job on defense and be a deterrent for Bennett? That’s a good question that the Oilers might try to answer in the first game or two. There is no doubt that Nurse is tougher than Bennett, but can he maintain his composure?

Trent Frederic

Oilers fans haven’t seen much of Trent Frederic in these playoffs. He doesn’t get many minutes and he’s playing a depth role in forward group. But, if he’s going to make a difference, this is the perfect matchup for him. Frederic is the kind of player who can be an aggressor and likes getting physical. Taking a few runs at Bennett before Bennett gets to the superstars on the Oilers roster might be key to slowing down one of the biggest pests on the Panthers’ roster.

And, if it’s required, trading penalties between Frederic and Bennett is a trade-off the Oilers will take. If Frederic can get Bennett to draw into a penalty or get himself in trouble with the officials, at the minimum taking both guys, it’s a win for the Oilers.

In the NHL season opener, Frederic tried to fight Tkachuk when Sam Bennett knocked Brad Marchand out of the Panthers-Bruins series. There’s history here, even if Marchand is now on the same team as these guys.

Oilers Need to Be “Mean” to Bennett Collectively

Outside of these three, the Oilers have Corey Perry, Vasily Podkolzin, Jake Walman and others who don’t mind throwing a few hits or engaging physically to get a player off their game. And, if Bennett targets Leon Draisaitl, Draisaitl has a tendency to get “pissy” and make someone look foolish.

The hope for the Oilers is that collectively, they can simmer down any antics Bennett tries to get involved in. The key is not letting him run or “bump” a goalie, or get in the kitchen of the Oilers early in the series. Particularly important is the need for the Oilers to have a response without getting into penalty trouble.

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