Post-Free Agency Oilers: Updated Line Combinations and Depth Chart

The dust has all but settled on free agency, with Nikolaj Ehlers signing in Carolina being the last big name to come off the board late this week.

And now, conversations can begin in earnest as to what rosters across the league will look like on opening day. Let’s dive into what the Oilers’ lineup could look like come October.

The Forwards

Andrew Mangiapane – Connor McDavid – Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin – Leon Draisaitl – Matt Savoie
Adam Henrique – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Trent Frederic
Mattias Janmark – Noah Philp – Kasperi Kapanen
Curtis Lazar

Oilers GM Stan Bowman said this week he views Andrew Mangiapane as “the ultimate versatile player” and someone he sees playing in Edmonton’s top-six next season. I could envision him starting on the top line, seeing if there’s a fit with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman, and then going from there.

Vasily Podkolzin’s defensive game is so sound that I think he deserves a spot alongside Leon Draisaitl on the second line as he did for much of the regular season. I have Matt Savoie pencilled in on the right side, as he’s somebody who will be competing for minutes in the top-six. The Oilers will need to see what they have here.

When it comes to the third line, I think it’s time to let Ryan Nugent-Hopkins run his own line. Going with “The Spine” of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins gives them centre depth nearly unmatched by any other team in the league. Trent Frederic’s most comfortable spot is on the right-wing where he had much of his success with the Bruins, while I think it’s time for Adam Henrique to shift to the wing. His boots are slowing down, and Nugent-Hopkins was honest towards the end of the season about how much he enjoys playing up the middle.

The fourth line is wide open, but you can pencil in Noah Philp for one of the four depth spots, either on that line or in the press box. He’s waiver-eligible this fall, and as a right-shot centre who has shown he can be a positive on the ice, I doubt the Oilers would be able to squeeze him through waivers. Right now, I have Kasperi Kapanen on his right wing and Mattias Janmark on his left. Curtis Lazar is the extra, but he’s somebody who will play 50+ games this year.

The Defencemen

Mattias Ekholm – Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse – Jake Walman
Brett Kulak – Ty Emberson
Troy Stecher

Edmonton’s blue line is set, and we’re keeping it simple here. Mattias Ekholm is going to be hungry to show he hasn’t lost a step after looking like he did returning from injury in the Stanley Cup Final, and Evan Bouchard is due for another step forward as a player.

We have a sample size of 106 minutes at five-on-five from the regular season for Darnell Nurse and Jake Walman. They controlled 60.8 percent of the shot attempt share, 57.4 percent of the scoring chance share, 59.2 percent of the high-danger scoring chance share and 62.4 percent of the expected goal share. All the while, they outscored the opposition 8-2. They were also strong in a 23-minute sample size in the playoffs. Let’s see what they can do with more time together.

Brett Kulak shouldn’t see the right side of the ice again, and despite getting outscored at five-on-five in the regular season, he and Ty Emberson had kept their heads above water in terms of their underlying numbers. This pairing will be a spot to fix via trade in-season.

Closing time…

With Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard between the pipes, this 22-man roster gives the Oilers $1.5-million in cap space and the ability to accrue more during the season.

There are some players who could turn heads in camp, like Max Jones, David Tomasek, Quinn Hutson and Arto Leppanen, but I don’t see them making the opening day roster at this point.

What do you think of this roster? Would you make any changes?