The NHL season is fast approaching, and training camp starts this week. This is an exciting time as fans start speculating who will crack the opening night roster and what the line combinations will be. For the Edmonton Oilers, they’ve seen significant changes in their forward group this offseason. They’ve lost Corey Perry, Connor Brown, Jeff Skinner, Evander Kane, and Viktor Arvidsson, replacing them with Isaac Howard, Andrew Mangiapane, and Matt Savoie, who’s poised to make the jump to the NHL full-time.
The Oilers got younger, and despite these changes, they are poised to make another deep playoff run. Head coach Kris Knoblauch has lineup flexibility and players who can play multiple positions. He can be creative with how he utilizes his bench, depending on performance and matchups. He’s not afraid to move guys around, as we’ve seen in the past. With that said, here’s how Edmonton’s coach can deploy his lineup throughout the 2025-26 season.
Oilers Can Go Nuclear
The Oilers could opt for a nuclear approach, pairing Connor McDavid with Leon Draisaitl. However, this should only occur when Zach Hyman returns from injury and should happen sporadically. Knoblauch is known for using this strategy after a successful penalty kill, at the end of a period, or when they are trailing in the third period and need a spark.
Related: Oilers Host Posts Cryptic Lineup Outlook for 2025-26 Season
If they go nuclear, Savoie could play with the dynamic duo, while Nugent-Hopkins could centre Mangiapane and Hyman. Then, Adam Henrique can centre Howard and Vasily Podkolzin on the third line, with the fourth line being Mattias Janmark, Trent Frederic, and Kasperi Kapanen or David Tomasek. Janmark has played centre in the past, so he could fill the fourth-line centre role if necessary. Either way, they can go nuclear while still having depth throughout the lineup, and that’s a wonderful thing. However, this only works if you’re getting contributions from the other lines. The top line can’t do it all. This is not the ideal scenario, but it could be a solid idea under the right circumstances.
Oilers Can Go Deep at Centre
The Oilers could run McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, and Henrique up the middle, which would be the ideal approach. Having that centre depth is a luxury, and Knoblauch should utilize it. This strategy can be useful on the road when you don’t have the last change, or when you’re playing teams who also have great centre depth. Does the opposing coach want their best line paired against McDavid’s line or Draisaitl’s? Pick your poison.
This will also ensure that either McDavid or Draisaitl is on the ice more frequently. When they play together, you risk the opposition exposing the other three lines. The Oilers are better when their superstars are separated. They can help elevate their linemates while taking advantage of other matchups, hopefully resulting in mismatches.
Oilers Have Blue Line Flexibility
While there were some changes up front this offseason, the blue line stayed the same, minus the departure of John Klingberg. Therefore, the defence core is familiar with each other, making it easier to move them around. The Oilers were without Mattias Ekholm down the stretch and through most of the playoffs, forcing the D pairs to constantly change. That line shuffling was valuable, and they can take that experience into this season.
Ekholm has been paired with Evan Bouchard since his acquisition, but that could change. His health is still concerning, and at 35 years old, a decline is imminent. He’s not the top-pairing defenceman he once was, so it might be smart to shelter his minutes. While he should still see plenty of ice time with Bouchard, they could also move him to the third pair alongside Ty Emberson or Troy Stecher, moving Brett Kulak or Jake Walman to the top pair.
Kulak has been steady and is always a dependable option, so he could handle an elevated role, like we saw in the playoffs. The 31-year-old averaged 16:30 during the 2024 Playoffs, but that number jumped to 23:35 this past postseason, which was a significant increase. He played 151:54 at 5-on-5 in the playoffs with Bouchard in the absence of Ekholm. But his most common partner was Darnell Nurse, playing 155:27 at 5-on-5 in the playoffs. So, that could also be an option, elevating Walman alongside Bouchard. Both Walman and Kulak are left shots who can play the right side, adding to their versatility. That gives Edmonton blue line flexibility.
The Oilers have many options with their lineup, and that flexibility is a valuable asset. Keep following The Hockey Writers as we approach another exciting season.
