Game 1 between the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks was a revelation in many ways. Somehow, in a game where Connor McDavid did not score and the Ducks—they of third period dominance—led after two periods, the Oilers not only pulled out the victory, but did so without needing overtime. Nor was their only deficit of the night a big one, like last year’s 5–1 cavern in Game 1. This year, it was a mere 3–2 margin that had to be evened up.
Notably, as Leon Draisaitl pointed out post-game, the Oilers’ depth scoring stole the show. In particular, Jason Dickinson and Kasperi Kapanen netted a pair of goals each. Who needs McDrai, apparently, when you have “Dickanen”?
Dickinson getting two goals was certainly not expected, but massive. However, Kapanen’s double wasn’t as absurd an occurrence; rather, this may have been bound to happen. The more you look at it, the more it becomes clear that he, and Vasily Podkolzin, are the perfect Draisaitl linemates.
Let’s dive in and see just what makes this one of the best second lines in the league.
The trio’s success began in last year’s playoffs
Last year, the Oilers began their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights with a 2–0 series lead before the infamous “four-tenths of a second” game-winner. In those first three games, Edmonton permitted Vegas 10 goals, suggesting it wasn’t a dominant series yet. In Game 4, we saw Draisaitl-Podkolzin-Kapanen put together, and that stayed intact until Zach Hyman’s injury in the Western Conference Final.
For the five games that they were together, those three gave up zero goals against, and decidedly controlled play. They became an elite shutdown line that stymied not only Vegas, but the Dallas Stars. Remember, Dallas won Game 1 on the strength of a million man-advantage goals; those darn power play merchants. Oh, and for good measure, that trio ended the Golden Knights’ playoff run.
They did so well at playing the type of cancel-out, heavy hockey that the Stanley Cup Playoffs command. Heading into the 2025–26 season, with both Podkolzin and Kapanen extended, there was talk that they could be the ones to help Draisaitl achieve his goal of winning a Selke Trophy. That didn’t materialize, but it was clear this combo already had really strong chemistry.
It’s become a familiarity option for when one of them returns from injury
Monday night’s deployment was noteworthy, especially with it being Draisaitl’s first game back from injury. Rather than try and give him more “typical” second-line players like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Jack Roslovic, Head Coach Kris Knoblauch put the big German with these familiar faces. And it isn’t the first time Knoblauch has done that this season.
Kapanen, after missing a bunch of time early on in the season with his own ailment, got slotted back on the second line with Draisaitl and Podkolzin. Given Kapanen hasn’t always been known as a top-six talent, this move was critiqued when announced by some local pundits. Boy, it’s a good thing us media folks don’t get hired to be the bench boss, eh?
The move was a resounding success. In his first 13 games back (up to the Olympic break), Kapanen had 10 points, and a plus-10 rating. Draisaitl and Podkolzin also benefitted from the move. The former tallied 23 points (9 goals, 14 assists) while the latter had nine points of his own (3 goals, six assists). But Kapanen specificially thrived so much, a small percentage of fans gave him the “biggest Olympics snub” designation.
The familiarity aspect has not only helped the trio play some of their best hockey. It’s also made working them back into the lineup much easier for Knoblauch. Sometimes, there can be a feeling-out process for a player coming back from being shelved. With Draisaitl, Podkolzin, and Kapanen, that process is less of a headache for the Oilers.
Kapanen and Podkolzin have played well with other centres
One of the biggest knocks against Kapanen and Podkolzin could be that their stats are inflated by playing with a superstar. But, as the Oilers have learned, not everyone can play well with Draisaitl. And if Kapanen and Podkolzin are truly being propped up by Draisaitl, then away from him, they should be mid at best.
A first indicator that that isn’t the case is how they’re both into “sniper” territory, per MoneyPuck.com‘s charts. They’re making the most of their scoring chances quite often, as evidenced by their basic stats as well. And here is how they stack up with other centres, as highlighted with blue lines:
The lion’s share of Podkolzin’s time together with Kapanen has come with Draisaitl at centre. And the sample size for the other lines is far smaller. That does not deny the fact that there are four centres that, in playing with the duo, have had a better expected goals percentage than the 52.4 percent established by Draisaitl centring them. A fifth, Nugent-Hopkins, breaks even with them at 50 percent. All are in the top 50 of xG percentage, out of 86 different line combos with at least 10 minutes of ice time together.
They don’t need Draisaitl to be successful together. But when paired with Draisaitl, Podkolzin and Kapanen have some tried, true, and enduring success that can power the Oilers through another deep playoff run.
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