Plenty of storylines emerged in the Edmonton Oilers’ 6–4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. There was a netminder duel between Stuart Skinner and Tristan Jarry, along with Leon Draisaitl recording his 1,000th NHL point. Yet, in the background, there was also a Spencer Stastney and Brett Kulak angle that flew under the radar, with the Oilers having traded Kulak and acquired Stastney in a separate deal with the Nashville Predators to fill the former Oilers’ spot on the left side of the third pairing.

Kulak played 15:22 last night and inadvertently helped out his old pals by shooting the puck over the glass while shorthanded in the first period, giving the Oilers an extended 5-on-3 power play, which they capitalized on. Meanwhile, Stastney, aside from a bad clear late in the third period, was solid overall in his 18:16 of ice time. At 5-on-5, the Oilers held an 11–4 advantage in scoring chances with him on the ice.

While moving on from Kulak was certainly a blow for the Oilers in terms of veteran presence, early signs suggest there’s plenty to like in his replacement, Stastney. With that said, below we’ll take a closer look at how both blueliners measure up and look at Stastney’s developing chemistry with Ty Emberson.

According to NHL Edge data, Kulak’s top skating speed this season was clocked at 21.40 MPH, ranking below the 50th percentile in the NHL, a drop from last season’s 22.72 MPH, which ranked in the top 87th percentile. Additionally, from a zone-time perspective, the 31-year-old spent 42.3% of his shifts in the defensive zone while playing for the Oilers, compared to just 40.1% in the offensive zone, a mark that ranks below the 50th percentile in the NHL.

That said, the numbers show Stastney pulls slightly ahead when it comes to skating. The 25-year-old’s top skating speed this season is 21.94 MPH, ranking in the 70th percentile league-wide. Moreover, where he really stands out is in speed bursts above 20 MPH — his 38 bursts rank in the 93rd percentile in the NHL.

As for zone-time, the following stat may have been another appeal in acquiring him. Stastney ranks in the 94th percentile, with 46.2%  of his shifts spent in the offensive zone, and also ranks in the 97th percentile with just 35.2% of his shifts in the defensive zone, meaning nearly half the time he’s on the ice, play is happening in the opposition’s end.

Having said that, Stastney has more points this season, with nine compared to Kulak’s two assists, though that’s a drop-off from where Kulak was last season, when he had already scored a few goals. Kulak, on the other hand, has the harder shot so far this season, topping out at 89.96 MPH compared to Stastney’s 84.37 MPH.

The now-Penguin also averages nearly three more minutes of ice time per game (17:42 TOI) than Stastney (14:48). However, when looking at Stastney’s advanced metrics from Natural Stat Trick during his time with the Nashville Predators this season — which provides a larger sample size — he’s posted stronger 5-on-5 metrics than Kulak, as outlined below:

• CF%: 57.02
• SF%: 54.17
• GF%: 50.00
• xGF%: 55.30
• SCF%: 56.40
• HDCF%: 53.06

By comparison, Kulak’s 5-on-5 metrics this season with the Oilers were not as impressive:

• CF%: 45.84
• SF%: 48.02
• GF%: 37.50
• xGF%: 44.67
• SCF%: 40.43
• HDCF%: 44.03

Nevertheless, despite the drop-off in Kulak’s play this regular season, if there’s one area where he truly shines, it’s in the playoffs. Some players can elevate their game when it matters most, and the Stony Plain, AB native has that trait ingrained in his DNA. From 2022 to 2025, Kulak suited up in 75 playoff games for the Oilers, tallying 20 points (3 goals, 17 assists).

While he was known for playing on the third pairing during the regular season, he regularly stepped into a top-four role for Edmonton in the playoffs — most notably last postseason, when he averaged 23:25 minutes per game, ranking third on the team behind only Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard and tied for third in the NHL with 43 blocked shots.

In comparison, Stastney has just three NHL playoff games under his belt, averaging under 11 minutes per night in the 2024 playoffs, and let’s call it like it is, losing Kulak’s playoff experience comes with some risk.

Having said that, the newest Oiler has a clutch playoff moment under his belt, albeit in the AHL. His most notable highlight came in a winner-take-all Game 5 while playing for the Milwaukee Admirals during the 2023 playoffs. Stastney scored the game-winning goal off a 2-on-1 with 26 seconds remaining, and after putting his team ahead, he delivered a defensive masterclass in the final moments — pinning the puck to the wall in the defensive zone, killing the clock, and helping his team advance to the Central Division Finals. You can watch both sequences below, fast-forwarding to the 2:22 mark.

Overall, at first glance, the Oilers appear to be getting a slightly better skater in Stastney, but they lose the postseason poise that Kulak brought. However, at 31 years old and having played a heavy load of playoff hockey in recent seasons, that mileage may be catching up to the Stony Plain, AB native, as his play seems to have taken a step back this season. Still, moving on from Kulak was necessary to shed his $2.75 million salary and fit Jarry’s $5.375 million under the salary cap, while bringing in the less expensive Stastney at $825,000 per season.

On that note, the more I think about it, I believe Stastney’s previous experience playing with Ty Emberson may have tipped the scales as to why the Oilers brought the former Predator into the fold. The two played together as a pairing with the U.S. National Development Program from 2016 to 2018, and as Sportsnet’s Jack Michaels mentioned, they played in roughly 30 games together during that span.

That potential chemistry between Stastney and Emberson is such an advantage. Understanding each other’s tendencies and style shortens the learning curve, and already knowing one another makes on-ice communication much smoother.

That said, I don’t have inside knowledge of their relationship, but here’s a cheeky, fun video from seven years ago of both players with the NTDP, asking each other questions below. Of course, you can’t conclude much about their chemistry from a 1:42 YouTube clip, but the playfulness they show toward each other suggests a friendly, comfortable rapport, which can translate to good on-ice communication.

And just for a funny aside, in the video, Stastney asked Emberson, “Who is one player you wouldn’t want to play against?” To which Emberson replied, “Connor McDavid. It’s Connor McDavid; no one wants to play against him.” Ironically, both are now teammates with the former five-time Art Ross Trophy winner.

Nevertheless, perhaps that familiarity between Stastney and Emberson is already translating into on-ice cohesion. It’s a very small sample size, but over the last two games, the pairing has posted the following numbers at 5-on-5:

• 58.06 CF%
• 61.77 xGF%
• 66.67 SCF%
• 60.00 HDCF%

Adding to that, the duo had solid moments against the Penguins, particularly on the penalty kill. In one instance, Emberson took a man out of the play with a heavy hit, with Stastney following it up with a big shorthanded clear — one of several on the night.

All things considered, the third pairing is showing early signs of chemistry. Losing Kulak stings, but it seems the Oilers got a cheaper replacement with better wheels in Stastney while also getting younger, and it’ll be interesting to see how he and Emberson develop with more reps together.