Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl reunite on Oilers top line ahead of match vs Kraken

The Edmonton Oilers are set to face their Pacific Division rivals, the Seattle Kraken in preseason action on Wednesday night.

It is the second half of a back-to-back after the club defeated the Jets 3-2 on Tuesday night.

The team is expected to debut their new top line, pairing stars Leon Draisaitl with Connor McDavid alongside Trent Frederic. There are also multiple other veteran players expected to make their preseason debuts.

Aside from McDavid and Draisaitl on the top line; Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Stuart Skinner, and Andrew Mangiapane will get their first taste of 2025 preseason action.

Where you can watch Oilers vs Kraken

Puckdrop is at 7:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, the game can be listened to on the radio at CHED880. The game can be streamed on OilersPlus  as well as on SportsnetPlus.

Lines

Oilers insider Bob Stauffer revealed the Oilers lines from their morning skate on X.

Forwards

As previously mentioned, the Oilers will be debuting their new top line featuring Draisaitl and McDavid alongside Frederic. Also notably Quinn Hutson looks to returns for back-to-back games, coming off a solid effort in the Oilers win over the Jets on Tuesday.

Also David Tomasek will play centre on the second line, it is reported that he is currently battling to start the season as the third line centre, this will be a good chance to showcase his talents. He will play pivot between Roby Jarventie who was recently named No. 8 on our top 10 prospects list and Mangiapane.

The lineup also features many players battling for depth roles on the team like Curtis Lazar, Mattias Janmark, James Hamblin, and Josh Samanski.

Defence

Ekholm and Bouchard as well make their preseason debut, coming days after Ekholm claimed he is a fan of his defence partner.

Along with Hutson, Atro Leppanen will be given a shot on back-to-back nights as he battles for a depth spot on the Oilers backend. He will be paired alongside depth defender Alec Regula. So far, he has shown quite well as a puck moving option and should be high on the club's depth chart.

Finally, Mason Millman and No. 4 ranked prospect Beau Akey will be paired together as they look to build some chemistry before likely battling for spots with the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.

Goalies

There has been very high praise heaped on the Oilers presumptive starting netminder Skinner, who has come to camp in better fitness and with a renewed sense of confidence. He will likely split the crease with rookie Samuel Jonsson who will be battling for a spot on the Condors.

Jonsson was recently ranked No. 7 amongst Oilers top 10 prospects and could be the club's goalie of the future.

Players to watch

Although it is only preseason, there are multiple players to watch in this game with a number of players making their debuts and with players battling to prove themselves ahead of the 2025-26 regular season.

Even if some players do not directly make the opening night lineup, they an still prove they are worthy of being called up during the season in case of injuries and poor play.

Trent Frederic

Frederic was acquired at last season's NHL trade deadline and has played a total of one regular season game in an Oilers uniform. There has not been a lot of chance for the team and fans to see Frederic alongside the club's players so it will be interesting to see his potential chemistry with McDavid and Draisaitl on the top line.

He also is auditioning for that spot should Zach Hyman be unavailable to start the season with the club due to his injury.

David Tomasek

As mentioned before, Tomasek is battling for a permanent spot in the opening night lineup so it will be interesting to see how he plays beside potential linemate, Mangiapane. As well, he is another player who has not been seen much from fans so he will be a good player to keep an eye on and see how he stacks up against NHL competition.

Roby Jarventie

Jarventie has been struck by injuries for the last few seasons and has not played a lot of hockey. He was acquired by the Oilers last summer and came with a lot of hype to his name, it will be interesting to see if he can prove his worthiness as an NHL option in the preseason.

Atro Leppanen

Leppanen seems set to play on back-to-back nights which could be a sign that the Oilers staff wants an extended look at him. This is a great sign for a player who is a potential hidden gem for the club. If he can work his way into a spot in the opening night lineup, it will be a great story to see.