Edmonton Oilers

Bouchard Injury Means Big Change to Oilers’ Blue Line Pairings

With the potential that Evan Bouchard will not play in Saturday’s game for the Edmonton Oilers, defense pairing changes give Emberson a look.

by
Jim Parsons
December 13, 2024

According to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, it appears as though the Edmonton Oilers are making a pretty significant change to their defensive pairings ahead of Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Following a possible injury to Evan Bouchard, it appears Ty Emberson is getting the bump up to the top pairing alongside Mattias Ekholm.

This potentially means both good and bad news for the Oilers.

While no official update has been given on Bouchard’s condition after being hit into the net in the third period of Thursday’s game, that Emberson was paired with Ekholm hints that Bouchard may not play Saturday afternoon. The good news is that the Oilers seem to like Emberson’s game well enough that they are confident he’ll be capable of playing top-pairing minutes. It’s a huge ask, but Emberson has arguably earned it.

Ty Emberson Oilers NHL — Ty Emberson of the Edmonton Oilers getting a huge bump in Saturday’s game?

Part of the reason the Oilers might be going this route is because Emberson and Ekholm have some familiarity with each other as a unit. They’ve been primarily working as a penalty-killing duo, and the PK has seen incredible success over the past couple of weeks. It’s important that Emberson — who is being asked to take on a bigger role than he’s ever taken on in the NHL — can trust his partner, and they have some idea of how best to complement each other.

This also eliminates the need to move a left-shot defenseman over to the right side. One alternative option might have been moving Darnell Nurse to the right to pair with Ekholm. It’s something Nurse can do, and the added minutes wouldn’t have been a huge issue for him. It’s a switch head coach Kris Knoblauch could make mid-game if the Emberson and Ekholm pairing struggles.

Blue Line Changes Lengthy?: Will Bouchard Miss Time for the Oilers?

Bouchard was not on the ice for Oilers practice today. That could mean the team was playing it safe, but the hit looked like it bothered Bouchard to the point he could miss time. Frank Seravalli noted after Thursday’s game, “Bouchard had a slight limp postgame and soreness, but otherwise seemed to avoid the worst of it.”

Knoblauch did confirm after practice on Friday that Bouchard will be a game-time decision on Saturday. It’s nothing major, and he’s 50/50 to play. Of course, Knoblauch said something similar about Viktor Arvidsson and he’s been out for weeks.

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