Oilers’ Spencer Stastney Is an Upgrade on Brett Kulak

However, Stastney came in and has proven himself immediately. His defensive game is amazing, and his decision-making is surprisingly impressive. Kulak, on the other hand, has struggled with the Penguins, which is exactly what Oilers fans had seen at the start of the 2025-26 season. The feedback from Penguins fans and pundits has not been positive, either.

Most Oilers fans are impressed, but some still question if Stastney can live up to what Kulak was able to do during his tenure. Realistically, he is already a better version of Kulak. He makes smarter plays in the defensive zone, he is a better penalty killer, he is calmer during clutch scenarios, and he is a much better skater.

Let’s take a deeper look.

Stastney’s Numbers Are More Impressive

The first thing we will look at is the JFresh model, which is the most popular one across social media.

Now, let’s keep something in mind: Stastney has played in a depth role for the majority of his career in the NHL, while Kulak has mostly played as a second-pairing defender, if not a top-pairing defender. Kulak and Stastney have very similar numbers according to this model, with some fans arguing Stastney’s numbers would drop if he were ever given a larger role.

This could be true, and since we haven’t seen Stastney in a larger role yet, we can’t make that call just yet. The one thing we can say right now is that the Oilers’ defensive play looks stronger with Stastney since he joined the team than it did when Kulak was a member of the team. Even with Jake Walman sitting out with an injury, Stastney has stabilized the depth and has been a breath of fresh air.

Stastney’s numbers would suggest he is an offensive-minded defender, but since joining the Oilers, he has proven he is a stable two-way player. As he continues to gain experience at the NHL level, he will continue to improve, and at his price point, the Oilers have a very stable bottom-pairing defender who can be trusted to shut things down at the end of games or on the penalty kill.

Kulak Is Slowing Down With Age, Literally

This got pointed out to me by someone on X, and it’s worth mentioning, because Kulak is literally slowing down as he gets older.

While nobody needs to be skating at the same speed as McDavid to be effective, it’s worth noting that Kulak always looked to be a step behind this season, and the numbers would back that up.

Kulak has been tossed into a large role with the Penguins, almost immediately being put on their top pairing as they try to figure things out, but since he joined them, their defensive play has seemingly gotten worse. In the Penguins’ recent loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the horrendous defensive play that left Skinner out to dry was put on blast by the fans, and while Kulak wasn’t the main issue, he didn’t stand out as solid either.

The key difference in Kulak’s game is that he seems to be overthinking things. He gets skated by quite easily when there are chances against, but when he has the chance to make a simple breakout pass or a play in the neutral zone, he overthinks it and seems to make the wrong plays. Kulak joining an already weak defensive team doesn’t help his case, and considering they are fighting to make the playoffs, he will need to turn things around if he wants to help the Penguins make it into the postseason.

Some More Negative Kulak Numbers

Back in November, an article was posted by Oilers Nation that really put how negative Kulak has been into perspective. On top of that, HockeyStatCards’ net rating ranked him as the fourth-worst in the entire NHL.

We could look at these numbers all day long, and the reality is that there is nothing that proves Kulak has been a solid defender this season. Realistically, what has been his issue?

Let’s take a look at another model, and it makes Kulak look even worse.

Zero offensive impact and a weak defensive impact, showing just how much of a down year Kulak is actually having. Stastney’s numbers at both ends are stronger, which is what everything indicates, no matter what you look at.

My Take on Kulak & His Decline

Someone called me out on X for standing behind my take of Stastney being an upgrade on Kulak, but just attaching other people’s research and not backing it up. I’ve mentioned in this article what I have seen from Kulak in comparison to Stastney and attached the same numbers, but why is it a fact that Stastney is the more effective player?

There are many issues. Kulak has declined with age, and watching him with the Oilers this season always caused a state of worry when he was the one defending the play near the net. He often seemed to lose his assignment, he was too slow reacting to plays in the offensive zone, and he seemingly lost the trust of the coaching staff, which showed in his drop in ice time.

Stastney is a much more confident player, a much smoother skater, and seems to be a much better fit in the Oilers’ system. In their previous game against the Calgary Flames, which they won, Stastney was rushing the puck to take shots, while also being able to get back into position without costing the Oilers a chance. His stick position kept the Flames from earning scoring opportunities, and when he stepped up to make a play, he was never out of position.

It was simply time for the Oilers to move on from Kulak, whether it was in the trade or letting him walk in the offseason; his time with the Oilers was going to come to an end. The Oilers have the depth without him to have a trustworthy defensive core, while Stastney can stabilize their bottom pairing as the playoffs approach.

I am appreciative of what Kulak was able to do during his time with the Oilers, and I wish him nothing but the best with the Penguins, but it was time for the Oilers to move on, and Stastney’s ceiling is much higher. He is younger, he is more affordable, and every statistic would indicate he is an upgrade. Watching the games, he is someone I trust more in the defensive zone because of his quicker decision-making alone, and offensively, he seems bound to score his first as an Oiler soon.

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