Edmonton Oilers reveal new-look forward lines on first day of training camp
The Edmonton Oilers are officially back on the ice for training camp, and they debuted some interesting new-look forward lines.
Thursday morning marked the first day of on-ice training camp sessions for the Oilers. While many players are returning from last year’s Stanley Cup Final run, more than a few new faces are making an appearance.
A bunch of the new additions are angling for a spot on the NHL roster, and Thursday marked the first time that the Oilers coaching staff could start trying out new line combinations, especially for the forward group.
The results were interesting, as head coach Kris Knoblauch tried out quite a few new looks, including an unexpected face on Connor McDavid’s line.
Here is a look at what we presume are the Oilers’ top-15 forwards to open up camp:
First line
Andrew Mangiapane – Connor McDavid – David Tomasek
Connor McDavid is without a contract extension past this season, and it looks like he could open up the year with two new linemates.
With Zach Hyman expected to miss the first month of the season, overseas signing David Tomasek was the first to get an audition on McDavid’s right wing. The six-foot-one, 210-pound Czech winger led the SHL in scoring last season and is a big body.
McDavid remarked on his first impressions of Tomasek after Thursday’s skate.
“Big guy, obviously has played lots of pro [hockey],” McDavid said. “Great shooter, every single time he goes on a drill, he seems to score. That’s a talent that not everybody has.”
On the other side of the Oilers captain was Andrew Mangiapane, who was the team’s big free agency signing over the summer. McDavid is very familiar with the 29-year-old as they played against each other in the OHL and later on in the NHL while he was a member of the Calgary Flames.
These two players likely are just the first of a few who will get a shot to play with McDavid, but, interestingly, they were Knoblauch’s choice to begin camp, which could mean something.
Second line
Vasily Podkolzin – Leon Draisaitl – Kasperi Kapanen
It was the opposite for Leon Draisaitl as he had a few familiar faces on his wings to open up training camp.
Vasily Podkolzin is picking up exactly where he left off last season, playing on Draisaitl’s left wing. The young Russian has struggled to score at a high clip throughout his NHL career, but has managed to gain high praise from Draisaitl.
You have to imagine that Draisaitl has made it known to the coaching staff that he prefers having Podkolzin on his wing. Rounding out the presumed second line was Kasperi Kapanen, who appears to be getting an early look in the top six.
Kapanen did not score much last season and was not an everyday player for Edmonton in the playoffs. Still, he managed to make an impact when he did get a chance, notching the series-clinching OT winner against the Vegas Golden Knights last year.
He possesses a lot of speed and talent with the puck, but has yet to live up to his first-round billing. If Kapanen can form some early chemistry with Draisaitl, he could be a dark-horse top-six option to open the year.
Third line
Adam Henrique – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Matt Savoie
It feels more and more likely that the Oilers are trying to find Ryan Nugent-Hopkins a home on the third line.
The longest-tenured Oilers player has primarily played left-wing with McDavid over the past few seasons, but he did look good for a limited time as the team’s third-line centre last year.
If this is the way they go, he will likely split those duties with Adam Henrique, who was skating on his left wing. The savvy veteran is similar to RNH in that he can play both centre and wing.
Rounding out this presumptive third line was Matt Savoie, one of two headlining Oilers rookies this season. Knoblauch has mentioned that he does not want to throw Savoie or Isaac Howard into a top-six role straight away.
Having him play on a third line with two vets like Nugent-Hopkins and Henrique, while picking up some PK time, would be a great way to ease him into the NHL.
Fourth line
Mattias Janmark – Trent Frederic – Isaac Howard
The Oilers have Trent Frederic under contract for the next eight seasons, and they want to try him out at centre for at least a little bit.
Knoblauch had Frederic anchoring the team’s expected fourth line alongside perennial Oilers bottom-sixer Mattias Janmark and youngster Isaac Howard. Janmark can also play centre, so there is a possibility that he can switch off with Frederic if needed.
Howard getting a look on the fourth line is a bit surprising considering his skill set, but it fits with Knoblauch’s philosophy of easing young players into the NHL.
Fifth line
Max Jones – Noah Philp – Curtis Lazar
The only other intriguing forward line on day one of training camp saw three NHL hopefuls skate together.
Both Noah Philp and Curtis Lazar will likely be battling for an NHL spot come October. Philp has a lot of fans within the organization, but Lazar has the edge in NHL experience. It’ll be interesting to see which player can last longer in camp. It’s set to be one of the fiercer training camp battles for this Edmonton forward group.
Max Jones will also be fighting to prove his worth at the NHL level. He came over in a trade last season and played in 19 regular-season games with the Oilers. However, Jones played zero playoff games for Edmonton.
He’ll need to prove quite a bit if he wants to crack the Oilers’ opening night roster.