Edmonton Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch is back to experimenting with the team’s line combinations following their 4-1 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on New Year’s Eve. As the Oilers head into the new year, they are expected to have some new line combinations for Friday’s game. Connor Brown is set to play on the first line, Zach Hyman will move to the third line, and Derek Ryan will likely be scratched. This is an ideal time to shuffle the lines since the Oilers currently sit third in the Pacific Division with a record of 22-12-3 (37 points), just two points behind the LA Kings, in prime position to make another run at the playoffs.
Thursday’s Practice Lines:
RNH – McDavid – Brown
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Arvidsson
Hyman – Janmark – Kapanen
Skinner – Henrique – Perry
Ryan
Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Stecher
Kulak – Emberson
*Skinner*
Pickard
In Thursday’s practice, Knoblauch’s adjustments were clearly done for a reason. Giving Hyman the chance to lead his own line will be intriguing to watch against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night, especially after the Oilers lost to the Ducks 5-3 last Sunday in Southern California. A potential line featuring Hyman, Janmark, and Kapanen would provide a hard-forechecking, gritty approach, with players capable of scoring “greasy” goals around the net. This move seems aimed at increasing the team’s scoring depth, which has been lacking lately beyond the top two lines, as Knoblauch looks to spread the offense more evenly.
On Tuesday against Utah, Connor Brown was slotted into the top line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid for many shifts. Reuniting the two former Erie Otters appeared effective, as both players finished the game with two points each (0-2-2). However, promoting Connor Brown to the top line does remove some speed from the lower lines, resulting in a slower fourth line comprised of Skinner, Henrique, and Perry, two older veteran players alongside Skinner. Personally, I would prefer to see Janmark and Henrique swap positions in the bottom six, but I trust Knoblauch to make the correct adjustments to put the best lineup on the ice each night, due to his proven success during his time in Edmonton.
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