The Edmonton Oilers top nine forwards are likely set heading into the 2023-24 regular season, and it appears there’s only one more spot up for grabs on the fourth line, alongside Mattias Janmark and Derek Ryan.
If the Oilers had the cap space, the perfect situation would have been re-signing Nick Bjugstad as their fourth line centerman, but unfortunately, there wasn’t enough money to go around. Instead, Edmonton was hoping that Brandon Sutter could fill the void, as he checked a lot of boxes, but sadly, he opted for retirement recently due to health-related issues.
Although the rest of the players competing for that 12th forward position haven’t consistently impressed night in and night out and established themselves as the clear-cut frontrunner, there are a few that are separating from the pack.
Oilers Have a Few Options That Have Played Stronger Lately
Some would feel forward Xavier Bourgault is in the mix for a job on the Oilers after a two-goal outing against the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 2, but he hasn’t performed consistently enough in the other four games he’s played and he’ll still likely need more seasoning in the American Hockey League (AHL).
But taking a look at other bubble players who are emerging as good options for the final forward spot, we have Raphael Lavoie, who had been somewhat quiet until he scored a beautiful on Sept. 30, when he beat Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko cleanly with a hard shot.
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To be effective in the lineup, Lavoie will need to transform his game into a more gritty style while being aggressive on the forecheck, and he started to show that style on Oct. 2 against the Kraken. He drew a penalty while pursuing the puck in the second period and he finally was rewarded with a chance to play with skilled players. He was placed on a line with Connor McDavid and Dylan Holloway to start the third period and the Oilers’ captain scored shortly after the line stepped onto the ice.
Lavoie won’t be expected to throw bone-crushing hits, but in order to make the team, especially in a bottom six role, he’ll need to use his 6-foot-4 body to lean on players, and make use of his lethal shot in-tight.
Next, Adam Erne leads the Oilers forwards in preseason penalty minutes (14), and he had some good moments against the Canucks on Sept. 30. He scored a goal in the first period, and was also involved in a spirited tussle with a Canuck near the end of the game. Still, he’s in tough because he’s on a professional tryout (PTO) and he’s a winger and not a centerman, but he’s proving to be a decent fourth-line option with his blue collar work ethic, which also included penalty killing work against the Kraken and also scoring a goal in the bonus-round shootout.
Lane Pederson has also stood out, but mainly because he’s been given a lot of power play minutes and gets a lot of puck touches. He doesn’t have any points in four games, but his scoring-chances for percentage (SCF%) at 5-on-5 is 51.22%, meaning he’s not harming the team, which is what you’d want out of your fourth-line centerman. Also, he showed some grit against the Canucks when he took a big hit from Elias Pettersson and returned moments later.
Pederson skates decently and he ticks some boxes for the team. He’s already signed to a two-year contract, and he’s a right-handed centerman to take draws. He could emerge as the best option from the pack, but largely driven by the team’s necessities.
Hockey Analyst Feels Brad Malone Could Emerge as Best Option
One player frequently overlooked is Brad Malone because he wasn’t initially considered a strong contender for the final forward spot on the Oilers’ roster. To summarize his preseason so far, he was the overtime hero against the Calgary Flames on Sept. 29, but he was exposed against the Canucks a night later, being the culprit on two goals against.
Former NHL player Rob Brown spoke about Malone emerging as a realistic option for the Oilers’ 12th forward position on the “Got Yer Back” Podcast, saying:
“The one that’s a wild card too, [has] anyone given you more from these guys than Brad Malone? We know what Brad Malone gives and are these guys knocking it out of the park saying ‘ok, Brad Malone, we know what we get from him.’ He’s tough, he plays center, he wins faceoffs, I don’t know if any of these guys have come in and pushed him out of the equation. I think they’ve allowed him to stay in the equation. That’s not something the Oilers want, but he’s hung around simply because no one else has been better.”
– Rob Brown
In saying that, no disrespect to Malone; who is a consummate hockey professional, but if he’s the standout choice among hockey pundits for the 4C role, it raises concerns because he represents a noticeable drop in ability compared to Bjugstad from the previous season.
Since Edmonton has a need for another centerman, they may give preference to Pederson or Malone for the 12th forward spot, but at the same time, they have internal options that can center the fourth line, like Ryan and Janmark, which would allow Lavoie to stick around with the big club if he continues to have strong outings. Yet, if the Oilers run the 11 forwards and seven defencemen route, it actually won’t be a major issue on whoever earns the last forward spot.
Which Oiler do you think is deserving of the last spot on the fourth line? Have your say in the comments below!
