Oilers Quietly Rebuilt Their Penalty Kill This Offseason

Bowman identified those attributes when discussing the return Edmonton received for Nurse.

“He’s got that long reach; he’s a big frame,” Bowman said. “His penalty kill is something that I think is a strength for him.”

Mukhamadullin is still developing and should not immediately be treated like a finished top-four defenseman. He may require sheltered five-on-five minutes while adjusting to Edmonton’s expectations and learning a new system.

Penalty killing could provide him with a defined role.

The responsibilities are demanding, but they are also more specific. Mukhamadullin can focus on protecting the middle, using his reach, winning battles and making the simple play required to clear the zone.

He also gives Edmonton another defenseman capable of playing either side. That flexibility should help the coaching staff create pairings based on performance rather than handedness alone.

Connor Murphy Remains the Unit’s Defensive Foundation

Shea and Mukhamadullin are Edmonton’s new additions, but Connor Murphy could remain the defenseman around whom the penalty kill is built.

Murphy joined the Oilers from the Chicago Blackhawks before the 2026 Trade Deadline and immediately assumed a prominent defensive role. Before the trade, he led all Chicago defensemen with 177:17 of penalty-killing time and 87 blocked shots.

The Blackhawks owned the NHL’s top-ranked penalty kill when Murphy was moved. Edmonton’s official introduction described him as a defense-first blueliner and penalty-kill specialist.

Murphy’s game is designed for the assignment.

He is comfortable defending without the puck, protecting the front of the net and absorbing difficult defensive-zone minutes. Unlike Bouchard, he does not need offensive-zone deployment or power-play opportunities to provide value.

Murphy also has experience working with Dickinson from their time in Chicago. That familiarity could help Edmonton establish at least one dependable four-player unit early in training camp.

Knoblauch placed both players directly into prominent penalty-killing roles after they arrived at the deadline because Chicago’s system shared similarities with Edmonton’s. A full training camp should allow the Oilers to move beyond simply inserting them into the existing structure.

The new coaching staff can now design its system around the strengths of Murphy, Dickinson, Shea and Mukhamadullin.

Jason Dickinson Can Stabilize the Forward Rotation

Jason Dickinson gives Edmonton an experienced forward capable of handling the most difficult part of the penalty kill.

Dickinson recorded more than 100 minutes of shorthanded ice time in four consecutive seasons before arriving in Edmonton. He was acquired specifically for his defensive versatility, ability to play center or wing and experience against opposing teams’ best players.

The Oilers immediately identified him as one of their leading penalty-killing options alongside Murphy.

That role should continue in 2026-27.

Dickinson can take defensive-zone faceoffs, pressure opposing point men and provide the anticipation required to close passing lanes without chasing the puck. His presence should also allow Edmonton to reduce the shorthanded burden on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or other forwards carrying significant offensive responsibilities.

The Oilers still need another dependable group of forward penalty killers. Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, Mathieu Joseph and Trent Frederic could all receive opportunities depending on how Babcock constructs the lineup.

Dickinson provides the established foundation around whom those combinations can rotate.

His role will become especially important when Edmonton takes consecutive penalties or loses a forward during a game. Successful penalty kills require more than one reliable pair, and Dickinson’s ability to play with different partners gives the coaching staff greater flexibility.

D.J. Smith Can Help Build a Clearer Structure

The personnel has improved, but Edmonton will not fix its penalty kill through new players alone.

The Oilers have not publicly announced which coach will directly oversee the unit, so it would be premature to assume Smith will control every shorthanded detail. His addition as Babcock’s associate coach still gives Edmonton another experienced defensive voice.

Smith played defense professionally, spent four seasons as an assistant under Babcock in Toronto and later served as head coach of the Ottawa Senators and interim coach of the Los Angeles Kings.

His experience should help Edmonton establish clearer expectations for pressure, rotations and net-front coverage.

The previous penalty kill too often became passive without remaining compact. Edmonton would allow the opposing power play time to make decisions but still surrender openings through the formation.

The new system must create a better balance.

Shea and Murphy have enough experience to recognize when to attack a puck carrier. Mukhamadullin’s reach can help close space without forcing him far outside the box. Dickinson can provide the low support required to prevent passes and rebounds from reaching dangerous areas.

Those pieces must operate together rather than as four individual penalty killers.

A full training camp under Babcock and Smith gives Edmonton time to define responsibilities before the results begin to matter. That is an important difference from the deadline, when Murphy and Dickinson had to join the existing structure immediately.

Penalty Kill Could Define Oilers’ Offseason

Edmonton’s goaltending decisions will receive more attention, and the Nurse trade will remain the largest individual move of the offseason.

The penalty-kill reconstruction could have a greater collective impact.

Shea, Mukhamadullin, Murphy and Dickinson give the Oilers four players whose skill sets align directly with the unit’s needs. They bring mobility, size, reach, blocked-shot experience, faceoff ability and familiarity with difficult defensive assignments.

Their presence should also create benefits elsewhere in the lineup.

Bouchard can spend less time blocking shots and more time driving offense. Ekholm’s workload can be managed during an 84-game season. Nugent-Hopkins and other skilled forwards will not have to absorb every important shorthanded assignment.

Edmonton still needs the new personnel to execute. Shea must prove his breakout season was sustainable, Mukhamadullin remains inexperienced and Murphy and Dickinson cannot repair the unit by themselves.

The goaltenders will also have to control rebounds and make the saves required after the formation breaks down.

The Oilers nevertheless enter 2026-27 with a deeper and more logical collection of penalty killers than they possessed when Anaheim eliminated them.

Fixing the unit may not be the most glamorous part of Edmonton’s offseason. It could become the most consequential.