Rob Murray isn't actually cornering the market on minor-league hockey defensemen.
It just seems that way.
The Alaska Aces head coach on Tuesday announced he has signed returner Landon Oslanski, the ninth blueliner the ECHL club has signed for the upcoming season.
There will evidently be no repeat of last season, when Murray and the Aces scrambled for defensemen as the season opener approached. Lack of a sturdy defense, a hallmark of the three-time Kelly Cup-champion franchise, plagued the Aces for much of last season, which marked the first time in 12 ECHL seasons the club did not make the playoffs.
Quality goaltending, long another of Alaska's strengths, likewise was an issue.
Those shortcomings prompted Murray to make defense and goaltending his offseason priorities. The first two signings the club announced this offseason were returning goalie Troy Redmann, who put up solid numbers after joining the team in the second half of the season, and promising rookie goalie Steven Summerhays of Anchorage. Summerhays starred at Notre Dame but missed last season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Since announcing Redmann and Summerhays, the Aces have rolled out of a succession of defensemen signings.
Murray acquired Oslanski in a March trade with Missouri. He generated two goals and nine points in 14 games with the Aces, and Murray marked him as a player he wanted back.
"At the point we were at, we were trying to upgrade,'' Murray said of the trade. "He was a guy who was available, who was an offensive defenseman. We remembered him from Stockton (as a rookie) and liked him there, so we though, 'Why wouldn't he be good here?' ''
In 72 combined games last season with Alaska, Missouri and Rapid City, Oslanski compiled 7-26—33 totals.
Defensemen who average half a point per game or more and can contribute significantly on the power play are generally hard to come by. So are defensemen who shoot right-handed. Oslanski checks all three boxes. Last season, he racked 5-13—18 totals on the power play.
"The way he moves, sees the ice, shoots the puck – lot of good things,'' Murray said. "He played an all-around game for us the majority of the time he was here.
"His upside is, he's a very good offensive defenseman at our level, with the ability to play on the defensive side, but he needs to commit himself to that side.''
Oslanski pencils in on the top power-play unit and figures to see ample time when the Aces need a goal – when they're trailing in the third period, for instance.
With Oslanski signed, the Aces have announced 18 players secured for this season. The breakdown: Nine defensemen, seven forwards and two goalies.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com, check out his blog at adn.com/hockeyblog and follow him on Twitter at @JaromirBlagr