The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, and with it a multitude of moves. All of the leading contenders made one trade or another, and the Edmonton Oilers were no exception. Although they may not have made as many transactions as some may had hoped, the Oilers were still proactive in improving their team for a chance to repeat as Western Conference champions.
With just 18 games left to play until hockey’s second season, it’s now up to Head Coach Kris Knoblauch to find the right mix of players in the lineup to maximize the Oilers’ chances in the postseason. Which players should be with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? What defensive pairings will be best to use? What will Evander Kane look like after almost a year away from NHL games? All of these questions will have to be answered if the Oilers are looking to avenge last year’s loss in the Stanley Cup Final.
What do the wingers look like?
The Oilers do have the privilege of having some important parts of the lineup set in stone. Down the middle, the Oilers are able to run Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Adam Henrique at centre. This kind of depth at hockey’s arguably most important position gives the Oilers an advantage over other teams that don’t possess such options.
Edmonton’s weakness this season has been on the wings. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have both taken steps back from last season, and offseason additions Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner have not been able to sufficiently lock down their places in the lineup. The struggles of bottom-six wingers Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown have also not helped matters.
There have been a couple of bright spots, however. Vasily Podkolzin has established himself as a solid option on Leon Draisaitl’s left wing, and recent trade addition Max Jones has been able to show some spark in the bottom-six. Matthew Savoie also looked promising in his limited audition from the AHL. Although the Oilers haven’t been able to find the right combination of wingers yet, they’ve got some runway to find solutions before April.
The debut of Trent Frederic from his lower-body injury will be a big boost to the Oilers’ lineup combinations. Frederic’s ability to play centre and the wing will allow for him to slot into the lineup wherever necessary, and his style of play will give Edmonton another physical body come playoff time.
Ultimately, I believe it’s best to leave Podkolzin with Draisaitl, and put Hyman with McDavid. These two combinations will allow Edmonton to rotate players in and out of the empty spots to give the team different looks. If I had my way however, Jeff Skinner would be seeing consistent playing time rather than fighting to get into the lineup. Skinner is Edmonton’s sixth highest scoring forward, and his defensive game has really come on since January. On a team that sometimes struggles to finish, Skinner should be given a chance down the stretch to prove he can perform when it matters most.
Defensive pairs require small tweaks
Fortunately for the Oilers, their defence has been more or less the same all season. Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard have remained as one of the best first pairs in the NHL. Darnell Nurse and the eternally underrated Brett Kulak have rotated between stints with Ty Emberson and Troy Stetcher. The addition of John Klingberg midseason has also largely been a success, and the recent deadline deal for Jake Walman is already showing dividends.
This defensive core is likely the best of the McDavid Era, with play driving options on every pair to transport the puck for quick breakouts. The addition of Walman is the move that excites me the most personally. Walman held his own as the top option on a terrible San Jose team, and his move to the Oilers will not only allow for more defensive depth, but also alleviates some of the load on Bouchard and Ekholm as the first pair. He is a left shot, which does mean someone needs to play their offside, but Walman’s status in the lineup will benefit a team like Edmonton.
I believe the best options for the Oilers defensively is largely to keep what’s worked all year. Ekholm and Bouchard against the top opposing competition is a no-brainer. However, I would like to see Walman with Emberson, and the reuniting of Nurse and Kulak, who proved themselves a formidable pairing in last year’s playoffs.
There is also the option to put Walman with Nurse and Kulak and Emberson, which does allow Kulak to play his natural left side, something he reportedly prefers. Troy Stecher would likely be kept as the seventh man, and can easily slot into the lineup if a more defensive option is required on the right side. Klingberg has been good in his limited minutes so far, but come playoff time, the Oilers might opt for someone more sound in their own zone.
What will Kane’s impact be?
Although he won’t play until Game 1 at the earliest, it would be remiss of me not to discuss Evander Kane’s place in the lineup. Although he hasn’t played NHL hockey since Game 2 of last year’s final, if healthy, Kane’s addition to the Oilers would be massive. Even at age 33, the 6’2 218lb B.C. product has the chance to be the missing piece Edmonton has been waiting all season for. It’s hard not to see Kane instantly inserted into the top-six after he returns, perhaps reuniting the Kane-McDavid-Hyman line that had so much success in the 2021–22 playoffs.
Kane’s return also allows for the shifting of some players currently being cast in roles they aren’t equipped for. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins could slide into a middle-six wing position rather than playing on the top line, something that may be more suitable for him at the current moment. The Oilers could afford to demote a player who may not have earned his spot in the lineup, maybe giving the struggling Mattias Janmark a chance to reset with some games off. Kane’s entire presence makes the Oilers a deeper, more dangerous team, especially if he comes back 100% healed from his core muscle and knee injuries.
The biggest wild card of the entire post-deadline for the Oilers is Kane’s health. If he’s able to return fully healed and motivated to prove himself after a season of trade speculation and physical rehab, he could unlock the Oilers top-six and provide them with another physical scoring spot in the forward core. Conversely, if he’s not fully healed or simply isn’t able to get back to the required level of play, it will be much harder for the Oilers to make a deep run in this year’s playoffs.
Ideal lines post-deadline
For the remainder of the season, I believe these are the best lines the Oilers can run, assuming Matthew Savoie will remain in the AHL for the rest of the regular season and Trent Frederic makes his return.
| Skinner | McDavid | Hyman |
| Podkolzin | Draisaitl | Arvidsson |
| Brown | Henrique | Nugent-Hopkins |
| Perry | Frederic | Jones |
| Ekholm | Bouchard |
| Walman | Emberson |
| Nurse | Kulak |
Ideal Game 1 lineup
For Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, here are the lines I would use, assuming Kane is back. Defensive pairs remain the same.
| Kane | McDavid | Hyman |
| Podkolzin | Draisaitl | Savoie |
| Henrique | Nugent-Hopkins | Arvidsson |
| Perry | Frederic | Brown |
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
