Ideal Oilers Lines When Evander Kane Returns
Evander Kane is still rehabbing his critical wrist injury he suffered against the Lightning after just 14 games with the Oilers, and he likely won’t be back in action until late January at the earliest. With Kane being a huge part of the teams top six forward core, Kane will step back into the lineup right away taking a spot or two way from players who have been in his spot since, so in this article I’m going to go over my opinion on what the lines should look like once he makes his long awaited comeback.
Here are the lines:
Kane – McDavid – Hyman
Kostin – Draisaitl – Yamamoto
Foegele – RNH – Puljujarvi
Hamblin – McLeod – Ryan
Dylan Holloway Should Be Sent Down
Dylan Holloway is an outstanding hockey player, and he can and will become apart of the Oilers main core in a season or two. The only issue that stems from it is the team drafted him to eventually be a go to goal scorer and a guy that can be relied on in multiple scenarios. Unfortunately, playing on the fourth line every game isn’t going to help your confidence as a goal scorer. Watching him in the NCAA was magical. He could make plays seemingly without even trying, and it’s something Oilers fans will eventually come to love. But, he needs a year in the minors. Sending him down when Kane comes back will not hurt his confidence at all as he’ll likely be a point per game player with the Condors in the AHL. Instead, he only has one goal and three assists through 35 games in his rookie year. Playing on the first line in the AHL for the rest of the season once Kane comes back could be just enough to spark the kid.
Klim Kostin Has Earned The Top Six Role
I can’t get over how well Klim Kostin has played since being called up from the Condors. When the Oilers made the Kostin for Samorukov swap I wasn’t expecting him to be much, but I have always liked him as a player and when he finally got his opportunity this season, he made a statement I don’t think anyone was expecting. In 23 games played with Edmonton, he has five goals and four assists which is good enough for 10th in team scoring.
On top of his offensive ability, his physicality and defensive play have been solid. He has been the type of gritty guy that the Oilers have needed for years and never got. Not to say Kassian wasn’t good for stretches, but he costed way too much money whereas Kostin is on a cheap contract, and will likely re-up for a reasonable amount of money.
What About Mattias Janmark and Devin Shore?
Send them both down to the minors or use them as extra forwards. James Hamblin has impressed with his play away from the puck, and he must’ve made an impression at training camp because he was on the opening day roster, something nobody expected. Derek Ryan has also been extremely impressive as a veteran forward playing his role perfectly. He is an outstanding penalty killer and has been chipping in offensively every few games. Whether or not he’s scoring and putting up points is one thing, but Ryan has been the best player on his line for a majority of the season. Sending down, or keeping them as healthy scratches won’t hurt Mattias Janmark or Devin Shore. They both know they are on the Oilers to be an extra body, while needing to play the role they are told to play on any given night. Once Kane comes back, neither of them are needed anymore.
These lines are the lines the team should roll into the playoffs with, and I would be surprised if Woodcroft went with anything drastically different. The only difference I could see is swapping Foegele and Kostin, or Kostin with Puljujarvi on some nights. Realistically though, these lines give us the best chance going into the playoffs. Lots of depth on each line, with players that compliment each others playing ability.