Top Left Header
Header Header
Title - Rob Soria
Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow OurHometown on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS
Edmonton Oilers 2014-15 Preview: Defence - Andrew Ference
By Rob Soria
HometownHockey.ca

Edmonton Oilers 2014-15 Preview: Defence - Andrew Ference
The 2013-14 season was one Edmonton Oilers fans had a rather difficult time stomaching. It was ugly from start to finish and it certainly wasn't the sort of year Andrew Ference was hoping for during his debut campaign in Orange and Blue. With that said, one can't help but wonder what sort of season we should be expecting from the Oilers captain during the upcoming 2014-15 National Hockey League campaign.
PHOTO CREDIT - GettyImages.ca

Edmonton - September 11, 2014 - By the time the dust had settled on what was a rather underwhelming 2013-14 campaign for the Edmonton Oilers, Andrew Ference had taken more than a few shots for his level of play during his debut season in Orange and Blue. From the moment general manager Craig MacTavish signed him to a four year $13 million unrestricted free agency deal, expectation for the veteran rearguard appeared to be rather unrealistic.

While the idea may have been for him to slide into a top pairing role on a team that arguably had the worst blueline depth in all of hockey, it was plan that was doomed from the outset. Over his final two seasons with the Boston Bruins, the now thirty-five year old defenceman saw top four minutes in both overall and even strength ice-time.

In the right situation Ference can still be a very useful piece but Edmonton did not have a Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg and Johnny Boychuk slotted in front of him in the picking order. Not surprisingly, last year was a struggle and while MacT and company did improve their backend this summer with the additions of Mark Fayne and Nikita Nikitin, they still have nothing resembling a legitimate top pairing.

During those final two seasons in Boston, Ference averaged roughly nineteen minutes a night and saw that number swell to twenty-one with the Oilers. While no one should have been surprised to see the increase in his workload, no one should have been surprised to see him look nothing like the guy we saw Beantown. This is a roster that was and still is, at least for the moment, littered with middling NHL talent along its blueline.

In all honesty, if we go back and look at what the fourteenth captain in Edmonton Oilers franchise history delivered in the situations he was forced into playing during 2013-14, was he really that poor? His performance was not worthy of seeing top four minutes on a nightly basis but playing a bunch of kids and/or AHL quality defencemen in front of him wasn’t really an option.

In perfect world, Dallas Eakins will use Ference in a No. 5 role in 2014-15 and the likes of Fayne, Nikitin, Jeff Petry, Justin Schultz and one of Martin Marincin or Oscar Klefbom start gelling into a cohesive National Hockey League blueline. If that happens, the former eighth round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins will probably put together a solid campaign.

Problem being, the chances of the former occurring are slim at best and because of that, we really have no idea what the immediate future may hold for the fourteen year vet. Unfortunately for him, having the “C” on his shoulder puts a massive bulls-eye on his back and there is no doubt he will be high on the list of Oilers Fans favourite whipping boys for the coming season but let’s be realistic here. If used correctly, Andrew Ference can still help an NHL team but how he is ultimately deployed is truly out of his control.

Follow Me on TwitterRob Soria is the Edmonton Oilers' correspondent for OurHometown.ca. Rob was born and raised in Edmonton and is the author of the Edmonton Oilers blog - OilDrop.ca. He has been a dedicated follower of the game and its history for years but his focus remains on his hometown Edmonton Oilers. If you have questions or wish to contact Rob, you can email him at rsoria@ourhometown.ca


Title

Title
Oilers Drop Heartbreaker On Controversial Call
PHOTO CREDIT:
GettyImages.ca
Oilers: A Dose Of Reality
PHOTO CREDIT:
GettyImages.ca
Oilers: Talbot Stands Tall In Win Over Red Wings
PHOTO CREDIT:
GettyImages.ca
McDavid, Oilers Prove Too Much For Hapless Flames
PHOTO CREDIT:
GettyImages.ca

Title



Title - Story Count
3,472 Stories & Growing Daily...

To date HometownHockey.ca has posted a total of 3,472 hockey stories!

Be sure to check out our Columnists archives or, why not Contribute a Story yourself!

HometownHockey.ca offers a very generous revenue sharing opportunity for our Columnists. If you are interested in learning more details about writing for us, please send us an EMAIL.
PucksTrending Story
SHORT SHIFT - Nifty Fifty for Maggio



Follow OurHometown.ca on... Follow OurHometown on Facebook Follow HometownHockey on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow us on RSS

The Greatest Edmonton Oilers of All Time
Twitter Header


Twitter Header


Footer