One of the topics I’ve been asked about recently has been Oiler line combinations when the club is healthy. It’s no secret that the Oilers lead the NHL in Man-Games lost. Soon, though, the team will be getting two 1st Overall picks back into the lineup.
Nail Yakupov is set to return to the lineup very quickly. The coach has said the upcoming road trip is probable. Connor McDavid is further behind because he needs to be cleared for contact, but the standard for players who return from injury is that they start skating with the club 2 weeks before they get back into game action. Well for McDavid 2 weeks puts him at roughly the Hockey Night in Canada game against the Flames on the 16th.
When those two return, decisions need to be made.
To me, there couldn’t be anything easier (or more satisfying) than chopping the bottom 2 players from the lineup and replacing them with a McDavid + Yakupov. That looks something like this:
Hall-Draisaitl-Purcell Pouliot-RNH-Eberle Lander-McDavid-Yakupov Hendricks-Letestu-Korpikoski
The Oilers don’t break up the chemistry of the lines they have right now, return the chemistry that Yak and McDavid had, and Lander is versatile enough that he can take draws for the rookie in key situations, be the defensive conscience, or be subbed out for Hall in a double shift.
The really interesting possibility is what Kassian (*spits*) might be able to do if he played with McDavid and Yakupov. Keeping in mind that Kassian is not left-handed, that trio is still an interesting mix of style and skill.
Kassian-McDavid-Yakupov has elements of speed, grit, and ability that would make them an instant mismatch against lower tiers of competition.
The real beauty of the Oilers forward possibilities is that they can run 3 lines with legitimate NHL scoring talent. The Oilers are definitely unbalanced between their stack of talented forwards and their lack thereof in defensemen. That might be rectified even by the trade deadline. However, for at least a month and a half they will have Unicorns.
If the opposition matches against McDavid that leaves more space for Hall and RNH. If they match Hall that leaves McDavid and RNH an opening. There will be opportunities if the ice-times can be managed. That’s going to largely take some swallowing of pride from the Letestu’s and Hendricks’ of the team. Someone has to take less and it will be difficult to justify taking it from the other lines.
Of course the team could alternatively completely blend the lines, but I view that as perhaps more work than necessary. I would hold off until the deadline or until a major move gets made.
If we want speculate on what an Oilers team looks like healthy and completely blended, here's one other configuration I would go with:
Hall-RNH-Eberle Yakupov-McDavid-Draisaitl Pouliot-Letestu-Purcell Hendricks-Lander-Kassian
This isn't one I like better than the original, just one that is crazy and mixed up. Could it happen? Sure, why not?
LINEUP
Pakarinen returns from his concussion tonight. Jujhar Khaira was sent to the AHL the other day. Talbot has been trending up and after that much rest there should be no issues for the rest of the lineup to stay the same as it was before. Yakupov will return sometime on the road trip and McDavid is getting closer and closer.
Hall-Draisaitl-Purcell Pouliot-RNH-Eberle Hendricks-Letestu-Korpikiski Gazdic-Lander-Pakarinen
Sekera-Schultz Nurse-Davidson Hunt-Gryba
Talbot
OILERS KEYS TO THE GAME
1) Shoot Before Cute. I first saw that phrase mentioned today by Gene Principe (credit where due). Apparently the message is clear from the Oiler coaching staff that the team needs to take the opportunity to shoot when it’s available instead of trying the fancy play. Instead of seeing the extra man coming in and forcing a pass over, trust that the shot is just as dangerous and that extra man will be in position for a rebound. I cant begin to guess how many times we’ve seen an Oiler try a toe drag or make 1 too many passes during this rebuild.
2) Last Chances. Nail Yakupov is set to return soon. Connor McDavid is not long behind him. Kassian wasn’t acquired to play in the AHL for the rest of the year. These games might be the last chances for players like Pakarinen, Gazdic, and Lander to show why they belong here. Pakarinen is returning from concussion, but will he still have a physical element to his game? Can Lander be more than a faceoff specialist? Is Gazdic a player that can help this team at all? If that line doesn’t start to make their presence felt in games all three might find themselves out of a job.
3) Confidence In Tight Games. The Oilers have now played in three 1 goal games since New Year’s Eve. They’ve won 2 of them. This is a team that is figuring out that they can stay in these games and win them. The Oilers are not collapsing late in games over this short stretch. That should be providing a boost to the confidence of these players, especially the ones who have been here long enough to remember the darkest days. The Hurricane game was a snoozefest, but even as the fans were falling asleep, the players did not. Baby steps.
Puck drops tonight at 7PM Mountain Time on Sportsnet West. Get Better, Connor!
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