Even though the Edmonton Oilers have now been to two straight Stanley Cup finals, there's been a fair amount of change in the roster over the last couple of seasons. The defense pairings are essentially set in stone at this point, while the goaltending position has seen the rumor mill work overtime but unlikely to have anything happen. That leaves only the forward lines with any semblance of change. This is my take on them.
Let me expand a bit here - we all know the defense pairings are going to go Ekholm-Bouchard, Nurse-Walman, and Kulak-Emberson, with Troy Stecher as the extra guy coming in for Ty Emberson once in awhile assuming no injuries, thus there really isn't a story there. Until something of substance comes up between the pipes, let's assume we enter the season with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard again.
Here's my take on the forward line combos, at least to start the season. We all know there will be changes from week to week and even game to game, but this is how I see them at least to start.
Let's start with the first line.
Nugent-Hopkins-Mcdavid-Hyman/Kapanen (alternate)
Despite the fact that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins saw a bit of a drop off in every boxcar stats except for goals, where he increased his goal totals slightly from 18 to 20 season over season, there's no question he works great on the left side of Connor McDavid and I would argue is the best option still to start the season. As for Zach Hyman, he and McDavid I would say are arguably one of, if not the, best 1-2 punches in the league as far as forward duos go, but as you remember Hyman got injured in the Conference final and it was a severe wrist injury so it's unclear at this point whether or not he will be available to start the season.
If he can't go, then Kasperi Kapanen is probably the best sub in at this point, as he didn't look out of place for a time on McDavid's line as he played there while the team was going through a rash of injuries during last season - and Kapanen's speed is a great match for the speed and hands of McDavid, although Hyman obviously has better hands and consistency so optimally it would be him who starts the season on that line.
At any rate, I would say that Nuge-Mcdavid-Hyman is one of the best and most lethal lines in the league, so I see no reason why they should be separated to start the season if all three are healthy and ready to go.
Mangiapane-Draisaitl-Savoie
The newcomer Andrew Mangiapane is a veteran of 498 NHL games, and he is almost certain to hit the 500 game mark early next season with the Oilers. He scored 14 goals last season getting a lot of time next to Alex Ovechkin, so he's got a proven ability to play with superstars. With a superior team on the Oilers, there is no doubt in my mind that Mangiapane could crack the 20 goal mark for the second time in his career if he plays his cards right and stays healthy. If I'm Kris Knoblauch I give Mangiapane a long look on this line, to start the season for sure.
Leon Draisaitl, we all know what he can do. Matt Savoie some might say is a bold choice to play on this line as he only has five NHL games to his name, four of which were with the Oilers last season. However, guess who he spent the majority of his four games next to last season? That's right, it was next to Draisaitl on the second line.
The two players seemed to have instant chemistry with each other, and with his two veteran linemates having almost 1300 NHL games played between them, not including playoffs, they should have a very capable veteran presence on this line as Savoie looks to be an NHL regular for the first time in his career. Savoie has the potential to be a Calder trophy winner this season if things work out for him.
If everything plays out on the ice as good as it looks on paper, this could be a very dangerous line, especially if they stay consistently together as the season goes on. Draisaitl would probably appreciate consistent linemates on his line, something he hasn't had for a very long time.
Vasily Podkolzin would do here in a pinch, but he only scored eight goals last season and personally I would prefer someone with better hands in the top six forward group.
Podkolzin-Frederic-Howard
Trent Frederic should be entering this upcoming season as the incumbent third line center. Last year's third line center Adam Henrique will be 36 at more or less the midway point of the season so in my opinion he should get a reduced role now. Frederic is the swiss army knife of the roster, capable of playing up and down the lineup and at all three forward positions.
Stan Bowman was so high on his skillset he gave the player more money and term than a bottom six forward usually gets in free agency. Let's hope he's right otherwise the Oilers have a five year embarrassment on their hands and if they have to buy him out, another buyout cap hit on the books to join Jack Campbell.
Podkolzin is a great player who is a fantastic hitter with some defensive chops and PK ability to boot. in my opinion he doesn't belong in the top six as a player unless he improves his scoring touch and can score more than eight goals a season - a long stint on the third line should draw a good line in the sand for him.
As for rookie Ike Howard, he may be the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner, and that's great, but even so it's probably best to take the more conservative and cautious approach with Howard. I suggest to play him with the 500-plus NHL games in the books with Frederic and Podkolzin against the softest competition, at least to start. If Howard lives up to the hype, he won't stay on the third line for long, but at least to start this is the best way to go for the raw rookie, who by the way like Savoie is also generating Calder Trophy hype.
Let him work his way up to the top six forward group - and he can play both wings so that gives the team some flexibility. Some sites would rather Howard get thrown into the deep end and play in the top six from day one, however Oilers fans should know better than anyone what happens when you rush prospects before they're ready and throw them into the deep end.
This line has the potential to be a very good third line.
Henrique-Philp-Lazar
I've already spoken about Henrique, that I think a reduced role might be best for him, especially in a contract year at 35 right now, and he'll be 36 in February so like everyone else he's not getting any younger. He'll be a great mentor for the 26 year old Noah Philp, who had a 15 game call-up last season and looks poised to be the incumbent fourth line center this season.
He did pretty much everything there was to do in Bakersfield last season and looked good in this role in his brief stint with the Oilers so he looks poised to become a regular there. Mattias Janmark played that role last season, and he looked like a square peg in a round hole until the playoffs came around, then oddly enough he looked like he fit. With a younger and cheaper option on the roster this year, Janmark will find himself on the outside looking in, at least to start.
As for Curtis Lazar, he's having a homecoming of sorts as he played his junior hockey here in Edmonton for the Oil Kings so fans have some familiarity with him. He hasn't been able to live up to his draft pedigree or that last year of his junior career when he scored 41 goals, but he's managed to carve out a nice career for himself as a role player, reinventing himself from his junior days. He's nothing special as a player, but he'll give you some veteranosity on that fourth line and keep the spot warm for other players who are poised to come into the organization.
Janmark-Hamblin-Kapanen/Tomasek
The next are most likely "extra guys" for the Oilers. Janmark had a bit of an off year last season for the Oilers, which is why at least to start the year I have him as the odd man out on this roster - but honestly I'm going take it one step further and boldly say that he will be picked up on waivers and they can save his $1.45 million cap hit. Otherwise he'll spend most of the season in Bakersfield unless there's an injury.
James Hamblin has played 41 games for the organization since 2022, and although he's a great story, he's in a contract year so unless he can find a way to both stick in the NHL and surpass Philp I doubt he's making this team anytime soon. He never got a call up last season, the first time that's happened in three seasons. He's a nice option as a fourth line call up, at least for this season.
Assuming Kapanen doesn't start the season subbing in for Hyman on the first line, I'm calling him the 13th forward on the roster. He's cheap and speedy, but he's also inconsistent. This makes him the best candidate on the roster to be the 13th forward, which minimizes his inconsistency but still gives him some ice time.
David Tomasek has generated some buzz, but in my opinion, the best place for him to start the season is Bakersfield. He may have led the SHL in scoring last season, but the SHL is a long way from the NHL. The best place for him to get more used to the North American ice surface is in Bakersfield. If he can adapt quickly and only spend 5-10 games in Bakersfield before he gets called up, then great, but otherwise he should be sent down to Bakersfield at least to start.
Wildcards
Max Jones, LW/RW
If past experience is any indication, Jones can hit but doesn't bring much else to the table, and this in combination with being porous defensively means it is unlikely that he upends anyone in training camp. He got a 19 game call up with the Oilers last season, but with a deeper roster and an unlikeliness to see the same extreme injury issues we saw at the start of last season, Jones has likely had his time in an Oilers uniform. Like Janmark, I see Jones as a prime candidate for the waiver wire to gain some cap space.
But, I wouldn't say it's impossible for him to crack this roster, stranger things have happened. Even if he clears waivers, we can still bury 90% of his cap hit in Bakersfield.
Josh Samanski, C/LW
Like Tomasek, Samanski is a European free agent that Stan Bowman is rolling the dice on. Therefore, like Tomasek, I expect that Samanski will start the season in Bakersfield as he adjusts to the North American ice surface. He's here on a two year contract so it's not do or die for him this season, but he'll find himself a Condor instead of an Oiler for the next two seasons unless he shows he's got what it takes to play in the NHL. Unlikely to make the roster out of training camp, but once the AHL season starts you just never know, all bets are off.
Quinn Hutson, RW
Habs breakout superstar Lane Hutson's older brother, Quinn Hutson certainly has the genetics to play in the NHL but whether that potential is realized or not remains to be seen. Bowman signed him as a college free agent, and he had a two game cup of coffee with the Oilers at the end of the regular season but that's the extent of his time in pro hockey so far. Hutson is in a contract year this year so this is his last chance to show the organization what he's got. If he can leapfrog a few other names on this list, then you just never know.
Roby Jarventie, LW/RW
Acquired in trade for Xavier Bourgault, Jarventie was supposed to be closer to the NHL than Bourgault, who has yet to play an NHL game vs. Jarventie who has already suited up for seven of them in Ottawa. He played two games in Bakersfield last season, and put up two assists in that time so although I doubt he makes the roster out of camp he could be a guy to watch for a callup later on in the season.
The fact that he can play both wings also gives him a leg up on someone like Hutson who can only play one side, and to a lesser extent Samanski, who has versatility in a different way (center and a winger vs. one or the other).
Viljami Marjala, C/LW
Originally a fifth round pick of the Buffalo Sabres, Marjala I assume wasn't signed to an ELC by Buffalo as he's played the last three seasons in the Finnish pro leagues, where he finished last season tied for his team's lead in points and fifth in the league (spooky since he was a fifth round pick). You probably know what I'm about to say next as Marjala is not likely to get a spot in camp but will be a player to watch in Bakersfield. The sooner he can adapt to North American ice, the better.