EDMONTON — If the Edmonton Oilers’ bounce back season is to be framed by team defence, not more offence, then Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy are likely the right guys to sign right off the top.

Edmonton got ventilated for goals in the Round 1 loss to Anaheim. Their top guys, their bottom guys, their penalty kill, their goalies…

Everybody needs to take a look at what brand of hockey wins, and what kind of hockey the Edmonton Oilers played in the 2025-26 season.

“Murph and I bring a consistency to that defensive game that is reliable,” Dickinson explained in a Zoom call after the two vets signed nearly identical five-year deals. “It's not flashy. It's not sexy. But it's effective, and so it's a piece that fits well with what they've already got (in Edmonton).

“You bring in guys that can handle the defensive responsibilities,” he explained, “and it takes a little bit of that stress out of constantly getting scored on that forces (the stars) to constantly have to keep scoring.”

32 Thoughts: The PodcastHockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider........

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