NHL teams are in constant need of reinforcements on defence. Injuries pile up during a long season and players fade due to age or being passed by other roster players pushing up from lower spots on the depth chart.

The Edmonton Oilers have been lucky in recent seasons; the defence has been blessed with good health. Even with healthy bodies, the club has employed 10 defenders in 2025-26, and it’s likely we’ll see at least one addition at the trade deadline.

Procuring talent for the AHL Bakersfield Condors is an important task for Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman and his staff. He may have found a future NHL player in Damien Carfagna, who was signed in March 2025 out of Ohio State. This season, Carfagna is among the top-performing Condors defencemen, and he could be an NHL recall in 2026.

Even-strength scoring

One of the ways we can track AHL defencemen is through counting even-strength goals for and against when each individual is on (or off) the ice. Here are the primary Condors blueliners this season, with their individual numbers, and Bakersfield’s totals when they are at rest.

PlayerGoal share ONGoal share OFF

27-18 (60 pct)

87-82 (51 pct)

27-20 (57 pct)

87-80 (52 pct)

30-24 (56 pct)

84-76 (53 pct)

28-24 (54 pct)

86-76 (53 pct)

26-31 (46 pct)

88-69 (56 pct)

22-27 (45 pct)

92-73 (56 pct)

21-27 (44 pct)

93-73 (56 pct)

9-12 (43 pct)

105-88 (54 pct)

All numbers via AHL.com

The two rookie pro defencemen in this group are Carfagna and Beau Akey. Both have terrific speed and mobility, and both can transport and pass the puck at a high level. Carfagna’s NHL time of arrival should be sooner due to age (23) compared with Akey (20).

Both have posted some of the strongest rookie goal-differential numbers in recent Condors history. In 2021-22, Philip Broberg was 30-15 (67 percent) in on-ice goals at five-on-five, while Michael Kesselring went 40-30 (57 percent). Both graduated to the NHL and are successful defencemen. Both are puck movers and have good offensive instincts but were (as is Carfagna) solid as AHL rookies in outscoring.

Carfagna has passed the early test on defensive accountability.

Splits

Another area that can aid in evaluating AHL prospects is viewing pre- and post-Christmas performance. Carfagna missed some games early in the season, but the progress made since Jan. 1 is evident:

Before Christmas: 21 games, 2-5-7; 14-14 even-strength goals (50 percent)
After Christmas: 18 games, 3-2-5; 16-10 even-strength goals (62 percent)

That’s legit progress from a rookie in the second half of this season. There are still some things for him to add to his game in the AHL, such as power-play time and more ice in big minutes of the game. It’s safe to say Condors coach Colin Chaulk put him in a position to succeed, and Carfagna has taken advantage, especially since the holiday break. He is grabbing significant minutes.

Offence

It’s difficult to measure offensive ability in the AHL for defencemen. The only Condors who have exceeded 0.6 point per game as AHL rookies during the Bakersfield years are Evan Bouchard (0.67 in 2019-20) and Broberg (0.74 in 2021-22).

Carfagna is averaging 0.31 point in his rookie campaign, with minimal power-play time. His even-strength average (eight points in 39 games, 0.20) is much lower than those of Bouchard (0.35) and Broberg (0.39), but similar to Kesselring’s (0.24).

It’s unlikely Carfagna will be a power-play regular should he make the grade, but college and AHL offence from defencemen is not historically reliable when projecting players into the NHL. Former Oilers draft pick John Marino is a good example.

Observations

Carfagna plays in the heart of the game now and has had success with veterans (Josh Brown) and fellow rookie Akey. His skating is exceptional at the AHL level, and speed isn’t a limitation that will keep him from the NHL. Chaulk has been solid in developing defenders since he arrived as Bakersfield’s coach, and Carfagna is flourishing in his first year with the club.

The Oilers’ left-handed depth chart is loaded, with Mattias Ekholm, Darnell Nurse, Jake Walman and Spencer Stastney all in the lineup every night. It’s possible Akey, a right-handed defenceman, gets the call first due solely to handedness.

Carfagna isn’t the most likely left-handed recall on the Condors currently, as veteran Riley Stillman has already played for the big club this season. Finnish free-agent signing Atro Leppanen showed great improvement defensively before he got hurt just after Christmas. He recently re-signed with Edmonton on a one-year, two-way deal. That could further distance Carfagna from the NHL.

What’s next?

If he comes to the 2026-27 training camp with the same depth chart, Carfagna’s primary competition will be Stastney in the battle for third-pairing deployment. Stastney has shown well and owns a value contract, so it’s unlikely Carfagna will move past the incumbent on the depth chart.

Carfagna is a candidate for a deadline trade this season. Kesselring was sent away at the 2023 deadline for a rental (Nick Bjugstad), and Bowman doesn’t have a large number of attractive options to offer a potential trading partner. If Carfagna is part of the ask, there’s a good chance he will be included in a deal just after the Olympic break.

On the other hand, Bowman’s actions suggest it’s a priority to build a strong pipeline of talent in Bakersfield. Carfagna is easily the top left-handed prospect on defence in Bakersfield. The sins of the past (the Oilers could use Kesselring right now on the second pairing) may mean the organization moves away from sacrificing developing AHL talent for rentals at the deadline.

Carfagna isn’t an ideal prospect. He lacks size (he’s 6 feet, 185 pounds, about the same size as Ty Emberson), and the Oilers may want a bigger player or a right-handed one (Akey) for next season.

What has changed since the fall? Carfagna has shown in less than 40 games he can handle the AHL. That suggests he may (probably next season) earn an NHL audition and eventually a regular role in the league. At 23, his development time is done, but his quick adjustment to the AHL, added to his speed, has him either NHL-ready or close.

That’s a significant development for an NHL team badly in need of capable roster replacements in case of injury.