- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 432,099
- Reaction score
- 44
You must be registered for see images attach
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are upon us.
While the Edmonton Oilers don't start their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings until Monday, they've already given us our first peek at their game one lineup. They had one last pre-playoff practice in San Jose on Friday before they head down to Los Angeles.
Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more.
With all their recent injuries, the headlines are, of course, the returns of Jake Walman, Evander Kane, Trent Frederic, and John Klingberg. Only Mattias Ekholm and Troy Stecher were missing from Friday's practice. Ekholm has been ruled out for at least the first round and possibly much longer.
While it's heartening to see all these players return to the ice, only Walman seems to figure into the game one lineup as of Friday. Walman, who last played on April 7th, was paired with Brett Kulak at practice. With Ekholm and Stecher out, the Oilers will have to lean heavily on their top four against L.A. to limit the exposure of Ty Emberson and Josh Brown on the bottom pair.
Trending Oilers Articles
You must be registered for see images attach
'A Special Talent': Messier Shows Love To Oilers' Leon DraisaitlEDMONTON – “It’s pretty much impossible to shut them down one-on-one.” Oilers 2025 Playoff Schedule vs. Kings
Corey Perry Will Cost Oilers More In New Year
Messier's Mixed Feelings About Being Drafted By The Oilers
Oilers Meaningful Gesture To Logan Couture
You must be registered for see images attach
Taking The Good And The Bad From The Oilers' Regular SeasonThe best laid plans... Up front, Kane and Frederic still seem to be on the outside looking in as they recover from their respective injuries. In their absence, head coach Kris Knoblauch is sticking to what he knows. That means Zach Hyman with Connor McDavid, Vasily Podkolzin and Viktor Arvidsson with Leon Draisaitl, and Jeff Skinner on the third line.
Knoblauch is also relying on two of his most successful recent experiments: Connor Brown on the top line and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the third. Brown seems to have found chemistry with McDavid late in the season, ripping off four goals in three games next to his former OHL linemate.
Nugent-Hopkins centering the third line has felt inevitable for a while. He found his game there in March, pushing the aging Adam Henrique to the wing. Between Brown and Skinner, the Oilers have two wingers who have performed in Nugent-Hopkins' spot next to McDavid, and the imminent returns of Kane and Frederic will only boost their depth on the wings.
Ideally, this formation gives the Oilers three solid scoring lines to counter the Kings' depth, with Draisaitl's line also doubling as a shutdown line to deploy against Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, and Andrei Kuzmenko.
All that being said, there's one huge key factor in this projected lineup: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The two haven't played together since March 18th, and the simple fact of having possibly the two best players on the planet in the same lineup changes everything.
The Kings are an excellent defensive team, but it's almost impossible to shut down both players at once. Put them on the same line—and we know it'll happen eventually—and they become unstoppable.
The Oilers have spent a month floating without their core superstars. It's time to remind everyone what they can do.
Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.
Continue reading...
