Oscar Klefbom and Adam Larsson served as the Edmonton Oilers top defensive unit last season. The young duo was awfully successful, as Klefbom led the team's defensemen in goals and points, while Larsson - the more defensive-minded of the two - led the team in hits and defensive point shares.
To no one's surprise, head coach Todd McLellan hopes the pair of 24-year-old, 6-foot-3, Swedish defensemen can remain together for the coming season.
"In an ideal world, we'll keep them together," McLellan said, according to Chris Wescott of edmontonoilers.com. "I thought they really grew up as a pair throughout the regular season and could be counted on in a number of different situations, whether it was the need for offense or a shutdown situation."
There is one slight roadblock, however.
Veteran defenseman Andrej Sekera suffered a torn ACL in the second round of the playoffs against the Anaheim Ducks. After the series concluded (in mid-May), the Oilers announced Sekera would miss the next six-to-nine months, meaning there's a good chance he'll miss a large chunk of the coming season.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Sekera was usually paired with Kris Russell, but with the former out of the picture for the foreseeable future, someone will need to step up into a top-4 role.
Despite the hole that needs to be filled, McLellan is confident his young defense corps will grow and suffice the loss of a reliable blue-liner.
"We're expecting the group to come back and pick up where they left off," McLellan said of the defense. "It's not like it's a new group that has to learn the systems, the ways, the language, or even learn each other really, if that makes any sense.
"We're hoping they can pick up where they left off and we also want some of our younger players to come in and push and challenge. The minute you get that happening - the internal competition - I think your team is beginning to get set up for a good future."
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