It’s no great secret that the Edmonton Oilers are in need of defencemen — it’s something Don Cherry has been preaching for years.
And when it comes to which type of player might be a perfect fit for the young, offence-heavy club, Cherry points to Kevin Bieksa.
“I have said Edmonton, right from five years ago, I said they’ve got all these beauty kids up front… they’ve got to get experienced defencemen,” Cherry said during Saturday’s Coach’s Corner segment.
“Bieksa, if they’d have given him enough dough, he would’ve come,” said Cherry, who also suggested “Willie Mitchell-type guys” as should-be targets for Edmonton. “This is a guy that plays with his heart and soul.”
The longtime member of the Vancouver Canucks was acquired by the Ducks last June in exchange for a second-round pick in the upcoming 2016 NHL draft. Anaheim signed their new blue-liner to a two-year, $8-million contract extension just a few days later. The deal will see him through to the end of the 2018 season.
The hard-hitting, shot-blocker has been a force for the Ducks so far this post-season. He had one assist in Thursday’s game for a plus-two performance, and has played just shy of 20 minutes in each of the Ducks’ last three games.
Bieksa left Saturday’s Game 5 after taking a puck to the mouth, but he would return to help the Ducks to a 3-2 series lead over the Nashville Predators.
“That’s the type of guys you’ve gotta have in Edmonton. With those kids … they’ve got to get experienced defencemen in Edmonton … they’ve got to do something.”
In addition to talking about Bieksa, Cherry also touched on the St. Louis Blues’ playoff run, what went wrong with the New York Rangers, and why San Jose defenceman Brent Burns might not be getting the recognition he deserves. Watch the full segment at the top of this post.
