In a season full of lineup juggling and fresh faces coming in, the Edmonton Oilers have fared quite well. They have once again been able to solidify themselves as one of the favourites to win the Cup, all while trying to fit new pieces into different places. And with the trade deadline officially passed, this roster is set in stone barring any wild free agent pickups. And with time running out on the season, there are some tough decisions to make.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch has tried many different combinations of players, searching for some kind of championship chemistry. We are now in the home stretch, and it’s time for Knoblauch and the coaching staff to decide who gives the Oilers the best chance to compete in the playoffs, and who should be watching from the press box. Here’s what Edmonton personnel needs to consider when handing out healthy scratches and who exactly they should be looking at late in the season.
LTIR Weapons
When looking at the Oilers’ current lineup, it is important to note the missing pieces. Aside from the short-term absences of defensemen Mattias Ekholm and John Klingberg, two key pieces of Edmonton’s playoff roster sit on the long-term injured reserve. Injured forwards such as Evander Kane and newly acquired Trent Frederic are sure to have roles on the team when they return, it’s just a matter of where. Neither of them has played with the Oilers this season, however, they both play a certain style of hockey that combines toughness with a scoring touch that will be needed in a playoff series.
The only thing to consider for these two power forwards would be their readiness to play given the extended time off they have had. Frederic has not appeared in a game since Feb. 25, while Oilers fans haven’t seen Kane since last season’s Stanley Cup Final.
These guys are professionals and are typically always ready for action, however, some bias should be used when making lineup decisions. It should be used in the sense that if one of the players coming off of the injured reserve is playing at the same level as one of the players who has been playing all season, the coaching staff should lean in favour of the guy who has been playing all year for the time being. Sticking with the healthier guy who has more tread on the tires this season may be the safer route down the stretch. We will see how these two forwards progress as the regular season winds down.
Current Oilers
Looking at players on the active roster, there are a few options to consider. Kasperi Kapanen is one case to immediately look at. He has allotted 10 points in 39 games with Edmonton this season, which is not bad considering he has played all over the lineup and has been a healthy scratch a few times. However, despite his solid defensive play and few contributions on offence, there are more options to consider to fill his spot. He has not shown he can be more than a fourth-line filler and should be the first player to be sitting out in the playoffs.
Two other forwards to take a look at would be Jeff Skinner and Vasily Podkolzin. While these players have been with the team all season long, they have only contributed 21 points each. You can make the argument that other forwards have produced less, however, those players have either missed time or have been solely playing in bottom-six roles. Skinner has been healthy scratched quite a few times, while Podkolzin hasn’t missed a game. It will be interesting to see where Knoblauch places these guys.
As for defencemen, there are two to think about. John Klingberg is a recent addition to the Edmonton blue line that will be an interesting decision to make. He has made a bit of an impact on the Oilers’ scoring, however, he has not solved any of the defensive issues for the team. The veteran has been out for the last couple games, which gives the team a look at some of their other options. The other blueliner to think about is Ty Emberson. He has been with the team all season after being acquired from San Jose in the offseason. He has primarily been paired with Darnell Nurse on the second pairing, and has faired decently well. However, with the additions of Klingberg and Jake Walman, Emberson’s average play may not be enough to crack the roster down the stretch.
New Kids
Obviously, we already talked about Frederic, as nothing more can really be said until we see him play a few games in the blue and orange. The other new kids are worth mentioning as well. Jake Walman is almost guaranteed a spot in the Oilers’ defence corps moving forward. Management swapped a first-round pick and a prospect for the veteran, and he provides a big boost to the team all around. He is also under team control until the end of next season, so they will likely treat him as a large part of the backend.
The other new guy that has seen ice time so far is Max Jones. He has shown in a small sample size that he can be a reliable option in the bottom-six, given the opportunity. He is a gritty forward who can skate very well and chip in the odd time around the net. The only problem is Edmonton’s crowded forward group, especially its bottom-six. Jones will have to continue to prove why he deserves a spot in the lineup going forward because when the Oilers reach full strength in the playoffs and have to make cuts, he will be near the top of the list as a new guy and low producer historically.
Projecting the Oilers’ Playoff Lineup
What should it actually look like? Here’s one take on it:
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — Connor McDavid — Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin — Leon Draisaitl — Viktor Arvidsson
Mattias Janmark — Adam Henrique — Connor Brown
Evander Kane — Trent Frederic — Corey Perry
Mattias Ekholm — Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse — Jake Walman
Brett Kulak — Troy Stecher
Stuart Skinner
Calvin Pickard
Scratches: Kasperi Kapanen, Max Jones, Jeff Skinner, Ty Emberson, John Klingberg, Alec Regula
Obviously, they will have to shrink their roster when at full strength; however, all the possible players were listed here to give the entire picture and all of Edmonton’s options. It should also be noted the flexibility of the fourth-line projected here. This line would be great for grit and grind, however, there is the chance those players get moved around. Knoblauch and company have some tough decisions to make, and not a lot of time to make them.
