Edmonton Oilers: Patrick Maroon Looks to Return to Top Line

Edmonton Oilers winger Patrick Maroon found himself struggling to produce on the top line against the Sharks. Because of that, he found himself in old, yet unfamiliar territory: the bottom-six.

Drake Caggiula was rewarded for his hard work against the Sharks and swapped spots on the wing with Maroon. The 29-year-old skated alongside Mark Letestu and Zack Kassian, packing physicality into the checking line.

Edmonton Oilers

With Edmonton ready to face off in a series against Maroon’s former team, he may be ready to return to the top line. He, along with Drake Caggiula, skated with the top line at Monday’s practice, and it looks like Maroon will return to the top unit.

Maroon not only provides physicality but acts as a strong winger in front of the net. The 6-foot-3, 236-pound winger acts as a big body that creates screens and can pick up deflections and rebounds. With that in mind, Maroon will surely bring a lot to the series against Anaheim.

Additionally, considering the speed and physicality the Ducks bring, the Oilers will need Maroon on the top six. He is not only a hard-hitting forward, but he can also protect Connor McDavid and create more space for them to get the offence going. That in itself was one of the struggles the Oilers had in their series against San Jose.

If Maroon returns to the top six, he will match up well with the likes of shutdown players like Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. He can surely get past them and also put up a fight. By the same token, Maroon can win battles for the puck and also hold his ground when he’s on the ice.

The Oilers are in for a tough series. However, with Maroon on the top line, they should be able to get chemistry going, and something else is bound to spark.