Klefbom on pace for most goals by Oilers D-man in nearly a decade
It's been quite some time since an Edmonton Oilers defenseman filled the net at a clip similar to Oscar Klefbom.
The 23-year-old unloaded his 11th of the season past Florida Panthers netminder James Reimer on Wednesday night and in doing so has now put himself on pace to have one of the most productive seasons by an Oilers defenseman in almost a decade.
At his current pace, Klefbom should conclude the year with 14 goals, which would be the highest total for an Oilers defenseman since Sheldon Souray posted 23 during the 2008-09 season.
In fact, over the last 17 seasons only eight defensemen have finished the season with as many or more goals than Klefbom currently has.
| Year | Players | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 08-09 | Sheldon Souray | 23 |
| 05-06 | Marc-Andre Bergeron | 15 |
| 07-08 | Tom Gilbert | 13 |
| 05-06 | Chris Pronger | 12 |
| 00-01 | Tom Poti | 12 |
| 00-01 | Janne Niinimaa | 12 |
| 16-17 | Oscar Klefbom | 11 |
| 13-14 | Justin Schultz | 11 |
At his current pace, Klefbom would finish with the third-highest such total since the 1999-2000 season.
The Oilers have certainly set out to be tougher on the back end this season, but added offense from their blueliners will always be a welcomed sight and Klefbom is doing his part.