The Edmonton Oilers take on the St. Louis Blues tonight (Feb. 15) and have decided to go with a new look for their forward lines. The top line stays the same, but Dylan Holloway moves up to the second line alongside Evander Kane and Leon Draisaitl. Corey Perry drops to the third line alongside Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod, while Sam Gagner comes out of the lineup for Mattias Janmark, who steps into the fourth line alongside Derek Ryan and Connor Brown. The defensive pairings will remain the same as last game.
Holloway, who is in his second season with the Oilers, has scored three goals and added one assist for four points through 22 games. He has dealt with injury issues this season but has bounced back and played well defensively since returning to the Oilers’ lineup. With the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, Holloway scored two goals and added two assists for four points through four games.
The Oilers have chosen to put Holloway alongside two of the strongest offensive players in the Oilers’ lineup in Kane and Draisaitl, so his production is expected to increase. Draisaitl has scored 25 goals and added 37 assists for 62 points through 49 games, while Kane has scored 19 goals and added 14 assists for 33 points through 48 games.
The Oilers come into the game against the Blues looking to build off a huge win over the Detroit Red Wings and hope their lineup shuffle can help them continue to succeed. After their 16-game winning streak was snapped recently by the Vegas Golden Knights, they are looking to find some consistent success again as they inch closer to the top of the Pacific Division, as they currently sit third in their division with 63 points.
