The Oilers are a team of the future, blah blah blah. If you want the intro read my last blog.
On defense the Oilers prospect depth is stacked. There's so many that eventually we'll just have to start trading the ones we can't use for draft picks. Like really it's rediculous how many good D prospects the Oil have. Must of drafted a ton because the defense sucked ever since 06'.
There are 3 Oilers defense that will stay for the longterm. Schultz, Petry and Belov. They're all young, all good and they all have at least 15 years left. Smid and N Schultz will be gone before the season starts, Grebeshkov will be traded like last time and Ference will live out his days on the 3rd pairing.
So next season the lines will be something like....
Ference - Schultz
Belov - Petry
Grebeshkov - Larsson
Something like that. By the end of the year Klefbom will be on the 1st pairing with Schultz, Ference will fall to the 2rd pairing and Larsson will sacrifice his spot for Belov and will be an extra.
This will be how it'll be for the next 2 years with the exception of Grebeshkov leaving and Larsson taking his place. In 2015-16 there will be chances. Nurse will be ready to be in the NHL and will spend his 1st year on the 3rd pairing and take Larsson's spot, forcing him to be an extra again. By the end of the year Nurse will be challenging Klefbom for the 1st pairing job and Ference will be on the 3rd pairing.
Now in the 2017-18 season the Oilers will have their longterm defensive core. Ference's contract will be up and make way for Marincin on the 3rd pairing. Making the lines for 17-18....
Klefbom - Schultz
Nurse - Petry
Belov - Marincin
Larsson
This is a great defense core and the Oil would be able to trade all the other good defense prospects like Gernat and Simpson for draft picks for the next Oilers generation.
Just for a recap, pairings along the road:
13-14;
Ference - Schultz
Belov - Petry
Grebeshkov - Larsson
14-15;
Klefbom - Schultz
Ference - Petry
Belov - Larsson
15-16 and 16-17;
Klefbom - Schultz
Nurse - Petry
Ference - Belov
17-18;
Klefbom - Schultz
Nurse - Petry
Belov - Marincin