Oscar Klefbom: The Edmonton Oilers’ Greatest ‘What If?’ – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers
On August 20, just over four years after he last played, Oscar Klefbom announced his retirement from the NHL. He has suffered from serious shoulder problems throughout his career, which eventually forced the Swedish defender to hang up his boots.
Although it is only official now, the hockey world has known for some time that Klefbom will not play in the NHL again. He last pitched in the 2020 season and was a free agent as his contract with the Edmonton Oilers expired in 2023.
Still, that doesn’t make news of his retirement any easier to hear in the Oil World. Instead, it just reminds fans of all that could have been.
Klefbom Filled Key Role for Oilers
Klefbom will go down as one of the great “what ifs” in Oilers history. An impact player who played an important role in the team, Klefbom was robbed of his career due to injury, and in his prime.
19 were selectedth Taken overall by Edmonton in the 2011 NHL Draft, Klefbom appeared in 378 games over seven seasons with the Oilers, from 2013-14 to 2019-20, tallying 34 goals and 122 assists. He added two goals and five assists in 16 postseason games.
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Klefbom won the Oilers Defenseman of the Year award twice, in the 2014-15 and 2016-17 seasons. For six straight seasons, from 2014-15 to 2019-20, he led the team in average time on ice (ATOI) while ranking first or second among Edmonton defensemen in scoring.
The Oilers have had some talented and effective blueliners, but often the biggest point producers are liabilities at their position, while the best shutdown men provide very little offensively. That was not the case with Klefbom, who played very well at both ends of the ice.
Klefbom was at his best last season
In 2019-2020, Klefbom was one of Edmonton’s two defenses, along with his Swedish teammate Adam Larsson, and played 25:25 per game, the sixth largest ATOI in franchise history. He was also part of the top teams on the power play and penalties.
During that time, he averaged 2.90 blocks per game, which ranked second in franchise history, and led all Oilers defensemen in goals, assists, and points, as well as power-play goals, power-play assists, and power-play points. Suffice to say he was very important to the Oilers. And he was only 26 years old.
But Klefbom was hampered by a shoulder injury he suffered years before he came to Edmonton while playing in the Swedish Elite League (SEL). It has gotten to the point where he can no longer continue playing unless something is done to correct the issue. Oilers general manager Ken Holland announced that Klefbom will miss the entire 2020-21 season. No one knew when Klefbom would return and play for the Oilers, and as it turned out, he wouldn’t.
The Oilers Spent Years Trying to Replace Klefbom
For years, Holland tried for years to fill Klefbom’s vacancy on the left side of the Oilers’ blueline, trading Dmitry Kulikov, Duncan Keith, and Brett Kulak. Finally, on Feb. 28, 2023, Holland acquired Mattias Ekholm, who was the left side blueliner most compatible with Edmonton who was missing.
As the Oilers pushed to the edge of the Stanley Cup, but still couldn’t score in it, one can’t help but think if Edmonton had Klefbom healthy on the roster all these years. Even if the Oilers do end up getting their man in Ekholm, the assets spent trying to find the No. 1 defenseman are worth it. 1 on the left were very expensive and could not be used for team building in other ways.
Klefbom is signed through 2022-23. He turned 30 in the summer of 2023 when he became a free agent. If the 6-foot-3 Swede can still play, he could be in line for a good contract, either in Edmonton or elsewhere.
At the top intersection of experience and skill, who knows how good Klefbom could be? And who knows how good the Oilers could be with Klefbom at the top of their lineup?
Although his career was cut short, Klefbom still ranks among the Oilers’ all-time leaders in defensemen’s most yards: 12th in goals, 11th in helping, 11th in points, 10th in power play points, and fifth in game-winning goals. He also ranks fourth in blocked shots, which has been officially since 2005.
Klefbom is based in Sweden now, but it would be a great gesture and a special moment if, at some point during next season, the Oilers were to bring him to Edmonton, where the Rogers Place faithful could show their appreciation for the gifted defenseman. .
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