It will be a different-looking Edmonton Oilers squad come opening day of the NHL season, and there are some question marks yet to be answered in the lineup. Among those questions is one that seems to linger from time to time: Leon Draisaitl‘s wingers. He has played with a few different combinations in his time with the team and will likely try out a new one sometime this season. So what will that look like and what combo would work best?
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Despite a revolving door of linemates, Draisaitl has found mountains of success in Edmonton. He’s usually able to gel quickly with his wingers and create chances at will. Let’s look at some possibilities for the 2025-26 season and decide what might end up working best.
Oilers Could Stick to What Worked
This is assuming that when the team is at full strength, Connor McDavid would resume play with his regular linemates in Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the top line. That leaves Draisaitl with a few familiar options on the second unit that have worked pretty well in the past and should maybe see some more time on the ice together to grow.
The first guy that comes to mind is Vasily Podkolzin. The young Russian forward put up decent numbers last season, with eight goals and 24 points. He really seemed to get more comfortable as the season went on, especially playing with Draisaitl. Their chemistry really evolved over the season, and they were able to play complementary hockey when put on the ice together. Draisaitl seems to agree, as he couldn’t say enough about his teammate in a recent interview talking about his style of play.
Another guy that has worked well on the Draisaitl line is Kasperi Kapanen. After taking some time to find his footing in Edmonton, Kapanen made his way onto the second line with Draisaitl, and it seemed to work great down the stretch of last season. He had some clutch play in the postseason and adds some speed to the lineup as well. If he can build off of what he did for a lot of the playoffs, he could be a good fit.
These three players began camp this past week playing on the same line, which is a good sign. These guys know they work well together and want to continue to develop the chemistry they have. So this is definitely an option for Draisaitl.
The Young Oilers
It’s likely that either straight out of camp or at some point this season, we will see some of the younger players in the organization get a shot with the big club. Well, what better way to get them up to speed than to line them up with one of the league’s best goal scorers? The coaches have put young guys on Draisaitl’s line before, and we’ve seen glimpses of what it could be, so maybe they will experiment with it again.
The first player that comes to mind here is Matthew Savoie, who has already had a bit of face time with Draisaitl in the past. He has appeared in just four games with the Oilers, tallying a beautiful assist on an Oilers goal scored by none other than Draisaitl. He is the kind of guy who has the potential to put up big numbers while also being a player who will go to the dirty areas and win a puck battle. He is a well-rounded player who will likely see more NHL ice time this season, hopefully with Draisaitl or someone like him.
There are other young guys who could potentially find their way higher up in the lineup as well. Rookie Isaac Howard is a young and new prospect that everyone has high hopes for. There is plenty of time for him to develop, but hopefully, we will see him sooner rather than later. Another player like Quinn Hutson is a potential guy to look at if he can impress in camp. He was a stud in his Boston University days, so hopefully it translates to the show. The young Oilers could be very good linemates very soon.
The New Oilers
Another way to approach the Draisaitl situation is to do what they have done in the past. They have done it with McDavid, too, and sometimes it works (see: Hyman’s 54-goal season). Pairing the star centre with a newcomer or two to the team could have a good effect on both Draisaitl and the new player, which in turn benefits the whole team.
This brings us first to a guy like Andrew Mangiapane. The veteran forward is looking for a big bounce-back season after coming over from the Washington Capitals via free agency. He has high upside as a former 30-goal scorer and a board warrior. And what better way to help him get his mojo back than to put him with one of the best? He brings energy and toughness to a much younger and faster Oilers lineup than years past.
In the same breath, Curtis Lazar could potentially find success if given the right tools in Edmonton. He hasn’t had it easy in his time in the league, but he’s managed to make himself known in many teams’ bottom-six. He’s not quite the offensive weapon he was in his junior days, but he can skate and check with the rest of them. Playing up with someone like Draisaitl could spark something in him. Putting the new guys with the superstars is a long shot, but you never know unless you try.
What Is the Oilers’ Best Option?
With the options laid out, there’s one that sticks out right now. As the team goes into a new season with lots of turnover up front, they should stick with what they know as much as they can. So putting Kapanen and Podkolzin up on that second line should be their number one option right now (which it seems to be seeing training camp videos).
Once the season gets going and injuries or cold streaks potentially hit, they can adjust and move in someone like Savoie or Hutson. Ultimately, they should have whoever is performing on that second line and make sure Draisaitl has the best chance to succeed as one of their primary sources of offence.
It will be interesting to see how the lineup looks when the season starts and how it may change as the season goes on. A new-look team presents all kinds of opportunities for Draisaitl and the rest of the team as well.
