At the trade deadline, the Edmonton Oilers acquired three reinforcements from the Chicago Blackhawks. Two of the players, defenceman Connor Murphy and centre Jason Dickinson, made the headlines in Edmonton and had an immediate impact on the team.
The third member of the Chicago trade chain was Colton Dach. A big winger (6-foot-4, 218 pounds) who has some skill and plays a rambunctious style, Dach is the latest in a growing number of rugged forwards acquired by Oilers general manager Stan Bowman. Oilers fans didn’t know much about him at the time of the trade, but his non-stop hitting and aggressive play fit perfectly for a fan base that loves to hear the boards rattle.
From the outside, the team appears to be looking for a physical edge on the depth lines. Dach has teamed up with veteran Trent Frederic to form two-thirds of a fourth line that inflicts pain on opponents every shift. Dach, like Frederic, Vasily Podkolzin and Max Jones before him, is a Bowman acquisition who can fill the energy role on the fourth line in Edmonton.
What if there’s something more?
Searching for Tikkanen
Decades ago, the Oilers drafted a bothersome winger out of Finland named Esa Tikkanen. He was capable of scoring 30 goals and was also a Selke-level two-way winger. Added to the fact that he delighted in chirping opponents and playing outside the rules, Tikkanen was among the best agitators in the NHL during his time. In 14 seasons, he averaged 23 goals and 59 points per 82 games, and finished plus-82 in plus-minus. His 1,007 career penalty minutes reflected a player who could beat you on the scoreboard and in the alley.
The Oilers have lost the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers in the last two seasons, and Tikkanen would have been right at home as a Panther, playing with Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand and A.J. Greer. It appears a portion of Edmonton’s roster will be devoted to that style of player during the Bowman era.
The Oilers have been adding truculence since he was named general manager in 2024. The addition of Dach to a group that includes Frederic and Jones means the club has several options who are NHL-level talents. Can any of them deliver enough in all areas to be considered a net positive in the agitator role?
Oilers over the years
If we create a line in the sand for a successful player of this type, what would he look like? Statistically, the player should be able to help outscore opponents five-on-five, score 1.50 points per 60 or more and average seven hits or more per 60, a number that lets opponents know he’s there. Since 2015, here are the Oilers forwards who met those criteria:
PlayerYearPts-60Hits-60Goal Pct
2015-16
2.8
9.8
67
2016-17
1.81
9.5
59
2017-18
1.76
8.3
53
2019-20
2.21
10.7
53
2021-22
2.2
11.4
64
2022-23
2.09
7.11
55
2022-23
2.02
16.7
61
All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick
Most of the names on this list could be described as enforcers, but there was plenty of agitating as well. Connor McDavid floated most of the boats offensively, playing with the captain made millionaires out of many wingers. The two final names, both employed by Edmonton before Bowman arrived, would appear to fit the description of the type of player the team is seeking.
The current list
The target players are younger, less famous and are on contracts that could be considered value deals. Here are Bowman’s bunch from the 2025-26 season:
PlayerPts-60Hits-60Goal Pct
1.83
8.22
55
1.81
23.6
40
1.75
12.4
57
1.72
19.2
62
1.69
28.8
100
All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick
Podkolzin’s emergence this season as a fine option on any of the top three lines has been a revelation. Although he doesn’t fall in to any of the categories described here (Podkolzin is not an enforcer, nor an agitator), he delivers several of the elements expected of the player type. The enforcing aside, he might best be compared to Maroon, who was so effective in a scoring role with McDavid that he priced himself right out of Edmonton’s price range when reaching free agency.
Kapanen also falls shy of the strict definition of an agitator, but he does have that element to his game. Inconsistency has been his issue, making him a direct comparable to Zack Kassian from the previous era of big Oilers wingers.
The samples for Dach, Jones and Connor Clattenburg are very small, but each player embodies most of what the Oilers may be looking for in an agitator. Dach’s scoring rates are surprisingly good for a player of his type. The eye test confirms he has enough natural offensive talent to project into a more significant role should he continue to develop. Clattenburgh is similar, although less experienced and more prone to injury, based on his rookie pro season.
Jones is what he’s always been: A talented player who flourishes in the AHL but gets squeezed once he reaches the NHL. Jones is 28 and has time to deliver an NHL career of note, but he needs a coach to believe in him and gift him minutes. He’s about the same age as Maroon when he arrived in Edmonton during the 2015-16 campaign.
What about Frederic?
Frederic doesn’t score well in any of the categories listed here and is a difficult player to quantify. Since he has taken a calendar year to recover from a high-ankle sprain, followed by a concussion, this year feels like a write-off for him.
Having said that, in recent games, Frederic and Dach have delivered on a fourth line that Tikkanen would recognize. Thundering hits, pressure on puck handlers and driving to the net are all part of the package. It’s possible these two open the playoffs on the same line, and with an expected goal share of 72 percent in 59 minutes, via Natural Stat Trick, good things could happen.
If the duo can deliver any kind of outscoring, the Oilers will have a solid playoff fourth line. For a team that has had trouble putting together depth lines capable of pushing possession, the Frederic-Dach combination is encouraging.
What about Tikkanen?
Bowman’s aggressive approach to finding physical wingers with an edge began with Podkolzin and rolled through the acquisitions of Kapanen, Frederic and Jones. Dach is the latest, and possibly the most likely to emerge as a candidate to eventually slide up the depth chart. He has surprising offensive skills, including a good shot and solid passing skills. Dach also has a sixth sense around the net that all plus offensive players possess.
It’s important to acknowledge there’s a long way from where Dach is today and the legend of Tikkanen or even Maroon. Tikkanen posted supreme offensive numbers and outscored opponents while playing with Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri. Maroon found the range as an NHL difference-maker while riding shotgun with McDavid.
Dach is unlikely to ever get that chance. We don’t know what we don’t know. Dach is an intriguing talent, and Bowman plucked him from the Blackhawks with an idea about playing a specific style while also contributing to outscoring. It’s early days, but the results are solid.