Can Valentin Zykov Give the Edmonton Oilers Three Scoring Lines?
The Edmonton Oilers announced on November 30th that they had claimed forward Valentin Zykov off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes. With his acquisition, I ask, can Edmonton run three scoring lines?
The Edmonton Oilers has had a severe depth scoring issue this year, with not many players past Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, and McDavid chipping in regularly. This, combined with Edmonton’s need a pure sniper prompted the Oilers’ claim on Zykov. With his claim, Edmonton could now feasibly put together three scoring lines by moving Draisaitl back to center.
Just Who is Zykov?
Well, Zykov is a flawed player, just like any that finds himself on waivers. While he has considerable talent and scoring ability, his skating ability has hindered his NHL ability. Here’s a draft day scouting report on his skating from lastwordonsports.com:
Zykov’s skating is very unorthodox. His hunched over style means that his top end speed, and his acceleration are not as good as they could be and could use some work going forward. In particular his first few strides need improvement, as he needs to be quicker.
Even though those deficiencies exist in his play, there are plenty of reasons this was a smart claim. He possesses a big frame (6’1, 215 pounds) which combined with his puck handling ability, is very reminiscent of Patrick Maroon’s skill-set.
Along with that, he possesses a world-class shot:
plays with a gritty edge and is developing into a potential power forward. He goes to the net very hard and knows what to do when he gets there. He has great hands in tight and can make slick moves, tip in shots, or bury rebounds. A natural goal scorer Zykov also has a strong wrist shot and quick release.
So in conclusion, think of Zykov as a right shooting Maroon. Their play styles are very similar and he could be an effective part of McDavid’s line. If given an opportunity on McDavid’s line Zykov’s finishing ability could help translate the Oilers’s offense into a more balanced attack with…
Three Scoring Lines.
Yes, it’s possible. Right now after last game, the lines look like this:
Chiasson-McDavid-Draisaitl
Cagguila-Nugent-Hopkins-Puljujarvi
Lucic-Brodziak-Kassian
Russell-Spooner-Khaira
With this lineup, we have the famous “Identity line” and two lines that can contribute offensively. That fourth line, as it’s set up, can do not much else but tread water, and is not ideal. Edmonton does, however, has three very skilled centers that could carry lines. If you place Draisaitl back at the center, you could ice a lineup that contains pairings.
I think it would be unwise to split up Nugent-Hopkins’s line as it performed very well against the Kings. If you spread the talent left around and try to get both Draisaitl and McDavid going it would look something like this:
Zykov-Mcdavid-Spooner
Chiasson-Draisaitl-Khaira
Cagguila-Nugent-Hopkins-Puljujarvi
Lucic-Brodziak-Kassian
With the first line there’s a lot of pressure on Spooner to produce, but as he is a play making type, perhaps time with McDavid and a pure shooter would reinvigorate Spooner. Draisaitl’s line should click, as re-igniting his chemistry with Khaira from last year should lead to sucess. Adding Chiasson as an effective finisher and net front presence should also help that line succeed.
As much as the “Identity Line” has been made fun of since it’s inception, it has been surprisingly effective. As of now they are carrying the play and helping keep the play in the other team’s zone. So, it would be wise to not break that line up right now.
So, what do you think? Do you think it’s wise to break up McDavid and Draisaitl? leave a comment or message me on twitter, I love a good discussion! Also, here’s a highlight reel that shows off Zykov’s scoring ability: