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Western Conference Finals Preview: Edmonton’s inconsistent defense

The first thought that comes to mind about the Edmonton Oilers is the offense. They have the unquestioned best offensive player in the NHL in Connor McDavid and a perfect complement near equal to his talent level in Leon Draisaitl—not to mention another two dangerous lines that can drive the play against anyone. Their back end has familiar names we also associate with an offense like Duncan Keith and Tyson Barrie. Those two are secondary and tertiary characters on a team with some very solid two-way blue-liners who have had some struggles this postseason.

Projected Defensemen

Darnell Nurse — Cody Ceci

Duncan Keith — Evan Bouchard

Brett Kulak — Tyson Barrie

Top Pairing: A Bit of an Enigma

Keith and Barrie are the most recognizable names on Edmonton’s back-line for most Avs fans.