With just 16 games remaining in the regular season for the Edmonton Oilers, the playoffs will be here in the blink of an eye and the team will need that last few games to secure themselves a good spot in the standings and figure out the ideal line combinations.
This season, the Oilers have solid depth. They lack a huge star on the blue line and a dynamic second-line left-winger, but their offense is potent, the defense is well-rounded, and their goaltending is coming into form. If the playoffs were to start tomorrow, it’s not a given as to who would be on the ice and what combination of lines the coach would go with.
Starting with the forwards, let’s look at who the Oilers would likely begin Game 1 of the Western Conference opening series with:
The Oilers Forwards In Round 1
| Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | Connor McDavid | Zach Hyman |
| Ryan McLeod | Leon Draisaitl | Warren Foegele |
| Evander Kane | Adam Henrique | Corey Perry |
| Connor Brown | Sam Carrick | Derek Ryan |
The Top Line: Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid, Hyman
The Oilers’ top line has been their go-to line when head coach Kris Knoblauch isn’t loading up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in certain situations. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is the team’s most versatile forward and McDavid has incredible chemistry with Zach Hyman. There’s no reason to mess with this trio.
It can be argued this line has the potential to be the most productive and deadly in the Western Conference. All can put up big numbers and their mix of styles offers incredible balance and dynamic skill. Hyman is a workhorse, Nugent-Hopkins is the Swiss Army Knife, and McDavid is… well, McDavid.
The Second Line: McLeod, Draisaitl, Foegele
The second line will be the big question mark. Can they maintain high levels of production over long stretches? There are times when this group seems to have a spark and there are moments they can be dominant, but the reality is, that neither Ryan McLeod nor Warren Foegel are legitimate top-six forwards on a Stanley Cup-contending team. They’re going to be asked to do more than pull their weight and Draisaitl is going to have to find a way to regularly bring them up his level.
Related: Oilers Have Effective 2nd Line With Draisaitl, Foegele, and McLeod
This is an area where the Oilers might be susceptible to problems. The hope is that GM Ken Holland was right not to take a big swing at the trade deadline and land a player like Jake Guentzel or Tyler Toffoli.
The Third Line: Kane, Henrique, Perry
It’s fair to argue this line is going to be a little slower, but it has major veteran savvy and experience, along with that grit and nastiness that teams often need when the playoffs begin. Evander Kane is a proven playoff performer –even if his regular season has taken a slight dip — and Corey Perry gets up for big games, dragging everyone into the fight. Adam Henrique was added at the deadline to be that third-line center who can play spot duty in the top six.
This is going to be a line that gets the benefit of the doubt from officials but also has a few calls go against them because Perry and Kane are agitators. The hope is that their collective ability to score and their many years in the NHL outweigh the times they cross the line.
The Fourth Line: Brown, Ryan, Carrick
This line may see changes throughout any given series. That said, the idea here is to deploy forecheckers and players who can provide 200-foot play without being caved in defensively. All three men may lack the skill and finish to be counted on offensively, but they can score. More than that, they can be an energy line, crashing and banging and causing turnovers.
All three are sound penalty killers, and that could be important in the playoffs, even if calls aren’t made as frequently as they might be during an 82-game schedule.
Who Doesn’t Make the Cut
There are some decent players not in this lineup that could be. Dylan Holloway was projected to be a part of the roster this season but he’s in Bakersfield after failing to consistently play well enough to earn a regular role. Sam Gagner is a veteran who knows his role and will be ready to play if called upon.
Mattias Janmark isn’t in the lineup, but he could be the extra forward if the Oilers roll with six defensemen. He’s getting regular duty, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he gets the nod over someone like Brown or Ryan. They all play similar styles, so their roles are essentially interchangeable.