2024–25 Edmonton Oilers player grade: Mattias Janmark

Janmark’s strength

Janmark knows and embraces his role, which is a big part of why he is able to excel in it. There is no glory, no easy minutes, and no chance to pad stats for Janmark. Instead, he takes on the dirty work. In doing so he puts the team’s interest far above any personal ambitions. That, however, does not mean that Janmark lacks motivation to contribute, as he has expressed a desire to stay relevant offensively. Still, Janmark plays with a consistency that is not easy to maintain deep in the lineup.

Janmark will see most of his minutes in defensive situations. In particular he has maintained a top role on the penalty kill as an Oiler. He gets to the hard areas, and plays within his role. This culminated in a fantastic 2023–24 playoff run, where Janmark teamed up with Adam Henrique and Connor Brown to dominate as checkers.

With the potential for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to move to centre, the Janmark and Henrique duo might now find themselves listed as a fourth line. This says more about the quality of the Oilers forward group than it does about the veterans, and Janmark seems a reliable bet to reprise his effectiveness.

Janmark’s weaknesses

While with enough talent to be functional, Janmark is fairly limited offensively. Quite simply there is little reason for Janmark to be on a power play. At times he might be elevated up the lineup, by way of injuries or inconsistencies above him. These stints will only ever be temporary, a reward for his work, but they speak to his reliable effort level.

Performance review

Reaching 16 assists last season was fairly impressive for Janmark. Though his career highs of 19 goals and 34 points will not be replicated, there is a chance that Janmark can hit 20 points again. At 32-years-old, time is not on his side in that regard, but Janmark has found a way to remain impactful.

Last season was no different, as Janmark found himself in the playoff lineup more often than more skilled options like Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson.

Letter grade: C+

While a player of his role could never fare too well under these parameters, Janmark delivered everything that could have been hoped for from him. Perhaps the only downside is that Janmark will likely eclipse his two goals from last season, Janmark scored three times in the playoffs. Clearly his style of play translates well to the postseason, making Janmark a good defensive specialist for the Oilers to work with.

Expectations for next season

The ink of the past is dry, and Janmark’s strong effort as an Oiler in the past will not earn him reprieve. Instead, Janmark will have competition for his role. While the Oilers boast some interesting rookies in Matthew Savoie, Isaac Howard, and even David Tomasek pushing for more offensive opportunities, the Oilers have competition for defensive spots as well.

Curtis Lazar might fill a similar function to Janmark, and Noah Philp might be in contention as well. To the chagrin of his doubters, Janmark may be able to win a close race thanks to his experience and consistency. Perhaps the Oilers can take some chances, especially higher in the lineup, but the appetite to experiment with the penalty kill seems less likely.