Oilers Projected Lineup: Skinner, Draisaitl & Arvidsson Set to Shine
Oilers Roll Out New Lineup Against Canucks
EDMONTON, AB – The Oilers will deploy their expected second line of Jeff Skinner, Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson on Monday night at Rogers Place for the first time in exhibition action against the Canucks.
The three forwards weren’t part of Monday’s morning practice at Rogers Place for inactive skaters, which included the likes of Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman, Ryan, Philp, Bouchard, Ekholm, Kemp, Akey, Nurse, and Delia.
After Head Coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed their inclusion in the lineup, tonight will be the trio’s first opportunity to get competitive action together and begin finding some chemistry outside of Training Camp skates.
Head Coach's Insights on the New Line
“All three of them will play together tonight at least to start the game, and we'll see how it goes from there,” Knoblauch said. “They've been practicing with each other, but they want to get reps and play a game. That's obviously where the real competition is and it'll be good for the coaches also to see them build some chemistry.”
Knoblauch believes that each of their skill sets can contribute to a formidable second line for the Oilers this season, but that relies on them being able to work through any early issues that might arise over Edmonton’s final three exhibition games—beginning tonight in their final home game of the preseason.
“Obviously, Skinner is a goalscorer. Arvidsson has a little more edge to his game by getting in on the forecheck. He’s a bit more aggressive,” Knoblauch said. “Even though he's not big on stature, he is big on having that tenacity. I think there’ll be growing pains, but they’re good hockey players and we're optimistic that it'll work out.”
Oilers Full Lineup and Streaming Info
The bench boss also confirmed that Connor McDavid will be in the lineup tonight and will centre the pair of Vasily Podkolzin and Corey Perry, with the former being acquired by the Oilers from the Canucks this offseason for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
On Monday, the Oilers also released forward Mike Hoffman from his professional try-out (PTO). Defenceman Darnell Nurse will have to wait at least another game to make his pre-season debut after being confirmed as out tonight by Knoblauch. After meeting with team doctors this morning, the Oilers will hope to have their veteran defenceman back in the lineup.
Edmonton's full lineup will be made apparent during warmups at Rogers Place tonight at approximately 30 minutes before puck drop, with the game being streamed live on Oilers+ at 7:00pm MT.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.