Checking in on the Edmonton Oilers’ deadline additions

It’s been 10 days since the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, and teams are starting to settle in with their new acquisitions. The Edmonton Oilers are no different.

The Oilers acquired three new players before the deadline, all from the Chicago Blackhawks. Forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach, and defenceman Connor Murphy. Dickinson and Murphy have both played six games with their new club, while Dach has played three. As we turn our attention from the deadline to the run-up to the playoffs, let’s see how the early returns on all three players have been, and explore if they were worthwhile additions to this Oilers team.

Murphy has stabilized the defence

It was no secret in the lead-up to the deadline that Edmonton was looking for a right-shot, second pairing defenceman. The duo of Jake Walman and Darnell Nurse together had been, to be blunt, very bad, and it just wasn’t going to be possible for this team to do anything without a solid second pair. So far, the deal to acquire Connor Murphy has been a success. Murphy fits the physical profile at 6’4” and 212 lbs, and his defensive game has been like a warm blanket in the Oilers’ zone. Murphy excels at crease-clearing, an aspect that Edmonton had been dreadful at up to this point. His insertion into the lineup has solved some more fundamental problems as well.

With Murphy in the fold, Edmonton could stop the Walman-Nurse madness and explore other pairings. With Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard entrenched as the #1, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch has elected to try both Nurse-Murphy and Walman-Ty Emberson, as well as Walman-Murphy and Nurse-Emberson. We’ve yet to see a winner out of those pairs, but both Walman-Murphy and Nurse-Murphy have shown some good early returns. Nurse-Murphy has been the steadier pair to start, although that’s more due to Walman’s recent struggles than a lack of a fit.

As the playoffs get closer, the defensive pairings will certainly become more solidified, but Murphy’s fit has come at a great relief to an Edmonton defensive corps that has been struggling to stay afloat all year. Depending on Ty Emberson’s injury status, the Oilers could go into the postseason with seven solid, dependable NHL defencemen. When’s the last time Edmonton had that kind of a luxury?

Dickinson has locked down 3C

Sam Dickinson’s role, like Murphy’s fills a glaring problem spot. In addition to a top-four right-shot defenceman, the Oilers were in the market for a right-shot 3C. Now, the Oilers could feasibly slide Ryan Nugent-Hopkins down the lineup to play that position, but in the interest of keeping their top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman together, they acquired Dickinson (and Dach) in the same deal with Chicago, sending a first round pick to do it. Some balked at the cost, even as Chicago took Andrew Mangiapane’s full contract back, with no retention. However, Dickinson has come into Edmonton exactly as advertised, a dependable, defence-first centre that can play effective shutdown hockey.

Through five games Knoblauch has seemed to have found at least one fit for Dickinson’s wing in Kasperi Kapanen. Kapapen’s hustle and good defensive game pair well with Dickinson’s. Their other most common winger has been Matt Savoie, whose game has come leaps and bounds since the Olympic break. In fact, Savoie might earn himself a promotion to the top line sooner rather than later, which would move RNH down with Dickinson and Kapanen to make a true shutdown line.

Either way, Dickinson’s line is defensively focused and has appeared much more effective than any other thid line the Oilers have had this season. Dickinson, like Murphy, filled a need and is filling it well.

Too early to tell on Dach

Given as he left last Tuesday’s game against Colorado with an injury, it’s much too early to tell what Colton Dach could ultimately bring. However, from the limited time he did play there were a couple noticeable points. Firstly, he’s a classic fourth-line “energy guy.” Skates fast, hits hard, doesn’t contribute much offensively. However, there’s still a place for that kind of the game in the NHL, and Dach appeared to be effective at it. He even chipped in his first point as an Oiler with an assist on Trent Frederic’s goal against Vegas on March 8.

If all pans out, I think Dach profiles as an effective fourth liner that could be trusted to bring some jump to the game. If he and Connor Clattenburg ever share the ice, we might have to coin them as the Bash Brothers. Dach was the smaller part of the Dickinson deal, but it’s possible Edmonton might make a player of him yet. Hopefully he’s able to return to the lineup soon and keep contributing.

Overall impressions of the new guys

None of the moves Edmonton made at this year’s deadline were flashy. Two defensively-minded players at areas of need, and a young player with some promise yet to develop fully. Not exactly Christmas morning for shiny new additions, but through their first six games every player has shown some level of effectiveness.

The Oilers have been a markedly better team at 5v5, specifically defensively with Dickinson and Murphy in the lineup. Dach in his limited time has shown some jump and hustle.

Ultimately it wasn’t exciting, but it appears Edmonton has added some important pieces to their lineup, and if they can continue to improve the team’s play in important areas, the Oilers will once again be a tough out come playoff time.