Predicting what Edmonton Oilers' forward lines will look like on opening night
The Edmonton Oilers are set to open up the 2026-27 season in just a few weeks.
Hockey is officially back in the Alberta capital, as the Oilers opened rookie camp this past week and are set to embark on training camp this Thursday. Soon after that, the team will open up their four-game preseason schedule and will get the regular season started with a matchup against the Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 29.
The shortened preseason and training camp schedule means new coach Mike Babcock will have to construct his opening night roster in short order. We already have a pretty clear idea of the players that are likely to make the NHL lineup, but how will Babcock put together his forward lines when the regular season rolls around?
Here is how our pre-training camp prediction of the Oilers ‘ opening-night forward lines will look…
First line
Vasily Podkolzin – Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl
It feels more and more likely that Babcock will start the season with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl skating on the same line.
He has seemed open to the idea ever since he was hired, and there has been speculation that he could potentially utilize the duo specifically during home games while separating them on the road. This would give the Oilers the unique opportunity to take advantage of having last change during home games.
Vasily Podkolzin skated with these two during last week’s captain’s skates, and has proved to have quite a bit of chemistry with Draisaitl. He’s the obvious third-man here.
Second line:
Isaac Howard – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Zach HymanÂ
With Draisaitl moving up to the first line, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would need to slide down to anchor the second line. He’s spent the past few years on the wing, but he’s still a more-than-serviceable second-line centre at this stage of his career.
Adding a healthy Zach Hyman to his wing should help the offence, while Isaac Howard will have a golden opportunity to round out the top-six with Matt Savoie injured. A strong training camp will likely be enough for Babcock to slot Howard into the top-six to start, where he will try to translate the success he had in the AHL last season to the NHL level.
Third line:
Trent Frederic- Jason Dickinson – Kasperi Kapanen
You can write Jason Dickinson’s name in pen for the third-line centre spot. The Oilers traded for and extended the 31-year-old with the intention of making him the anchor of that third line for the foreseeable future, and nothing will change that between now and opening night.
He will get a motivated Kasperi Kapanen, who is coming off a dominant playoff showing last season, and a player who is looking to bounce back this season, Trent Frederic, on the wings.
Dickinson is a good bet to be a solid defensive forward who can chip in with some offence occasionally. It will be interesting if Kapanen can build on last season and if Frederic will be able to return to form.
Fourth line:
Alex Formenton – Colton Dach – Mathieu JosephÂ
The Oilers went through all the trouble of signing the controversial Alex Formenton, and it feels like they will give him a thorough look at the NHL level.
He’s a speedy forward who can kill penalties, and he did have some decent NHL numbers, albeit from four seasons ago. Anything other than a limited fourth-line role seems a bit ambitious to start.
Colton Dach appears open to returning to his natural centre position this season and will likely get a shot at doing so in preseason. The results will be good enough for Babcock to pencil him into that spot for opening night.
Meanwhile, Mathieu Joseph will be battling it out for the final spot and will eventually win it through a combination of solid preseason play as well as having more NHL experience than his competitors.