Heading into the 2025-26 season the Edmonton Oilers are expected to have competition on defense and one analyst believes an unexpected player will step up. The Edmonton Oilers defensive unit have been a topic of discussion for fans over the last two seasons as the unit overall has struggled to stay consistent. The <a href='https://www.nhl.com/sharks/news/jake-walman-traded-to-edmonton-oilers-by-san-jose-sharks-x5175' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>addition of Jake Walman at last year's trade deadline</a> rounded out the top four but questions remain for the bottom pair this upcoming season. Coming into the season Brett Kulak, Troy Stecher, and Ty Emberson are all expected to fight for minutes but the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast believe the first opportunity should go to veteran defenseman Josh Brown instead. <h3>NHL Analyst Make A Case For Josh Brown To Be An Impact Player For The Oilers</h3> In a new post on X, Josh Marshall and Phil Stockley of the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast made a case for Josh Brown to get a real opportunity to play this upcoming season. The duo believe Brown is capable of playing at a winning level in the NHL. Joshua Brown is an NHL Defensemen in our opinion. Some others might want to write him off before camp starts but we aren't & we heard he's had another strong showing this offseason with his training & he has put himself in a position to make the Edmonton Oilers come October 8th. As for why they believe Brown is ready for the responsibility it comes down to his physical and defense first style along with the commitment the Oilers made to him with a multi-year extension. Brown is a smart hockey player, he's a solid defensive player & a big body that can take away time, space & he's able to stop plays down low. He's first pass out of the zone is also better than some people think. Brown will be motivated to prove others wrong & show why he got the 3 year deal last year. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/2muttshockeypod/status/1961573098169471132'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Brown, 31, has had a turbulent pro career spending a majority of his time in professional hockey bouncing between the NHL and the AHL. After spending just 10 games with the Oilers last season Brown is a long shot to make the roster but if the Oilers are looking for more physicality and defensive presence he could be exactly what the team needs. As training camp gets underway it will be fun to see if Josh Brown can prove his supporters right or if he will once again be relegated to the AHL.