So, coming into this season, the Oilers called upon sophomore and former NCAA blueliner Matt Benning to make the jump to the top four. Edmonton put him on the second pairing alongside Kris Russell, and since then, he has been taking on more responsibility and trying to prove his top-four worth.
However, looking at the Oilers defence, the team is struggling in many different areas. Through 10 games this season, Edmonton has surrendered an average of 3.3 goals per game, the ninth-worst GA/G in the league. The defence has also surrendered 309 shots against so far this season.