McLeod helping Oilers second line become one of NHL's best
It’s time for the Edmonton Oilers to give forward Ryan McLeod a good look in the top six.
After playing an instrumental role in Edmonton’s 4-2 comeback victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, the 24-year-old is showing that he deserves a chance to get more ice time with guys like Leon Draisaitl.
It seemed like this would be the case for a while, with McLeod playing with Draisaitl for nine straight games before sitting out Saturday night with an illness. When he returned to the lineup on Tuesday, he was shifted down to the third line in favour of Evander Kane.
McLeod took the demotion in stride, setting up Derek Ryan for the equalizer with a beautiful pass from behind the net and scoring the game-winner while on a shift with Connor McDavid and Draisaitl.
Ryan McLeod walks out and pots the go-ahead goal late in the third! ☁️ pic.twitter.com/E4t1Ms2nSZ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 17, 2024
McLeod has been excellent over his last 10 games, scoring six goals and 11 points while adding some much-needed speed to Draisaitl’s line. In contrast, Kane has struggled to get much of anything going with just three points over that same span.
Though Kane did go on a bit of a hot streak in November, it seems like he is either battling through an injury or just not playing up to those standards right now. He looked more engaged against the Leafs but was still subject to a few brutal turnovers that almost cost the team.
Right now, the focus should be on putting together lines that work well together, and that McLeod-Draisaitl-Foegle line is a perfect complement to the otherworldly McDavid unit.
It may be one of the best lines in the entire league, right next to that McDavid line. According to Moneypuck.com, they are second in the league in expected goals among lines who have played at least 82 minutes together this season.
Moneypuck.com
The Oilers have been able to rattle off 11 straight wins for the first time in franchise history. The majority of those wins came with McLeod playing on the second line while Kane was on the third line. Just because McLeod missed a game for being sick doesn’t mean you should change a winning formula.
Results on the ice are overwhelmingly in favour of giving McLeod a good long look on the second line. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch has preached about giving players ice time based on merit, now is the time to make that point abundantly clear.