The game of hockey is won and lost at the margins.

It’s the ability to dig deep, bury that rebound, chip that puck out, win that faceoff, or any of the superlatives that contribute to wins on the ice.

But in order for a team to be in a position to win on the ice, management has to do its job of winning at the margins to make sure the team on ice is in a position to win at its margins. This goes up and down the organization, too.

And if there’s one thing that Stan Bowman has done during his time with the Edmonton Oilers, it’s win at the margins.

Ty Emberson. Vasily Podkolzin. Kasperi Kapanen. Connor Ingram. Connor Murphy. Jason Dickinson. Jack Roslovic. Josh Samanski. Quinn Hutson. In one form or another, each has been wins for Bowman.

Emberson has become a solid third-pairing, defensive defenceman. Podkolzin has flourished, seeming more and more like someone who can hit his ceiling of a 10th-overall draft pick. Kapanen has become a big playoff performer for the team, scoring key game-winning goals in the playoffs. Ingram became the Oilers’ starting goalie. Murphy and Dickinson proved their worth as trade-deadline acquisitions.........

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