Projected Edmonton Oilers lines and defence pairs for opening night
The 2025-26 NHL season arrives next week, and things are starting to take shape for the Edmonton Oilers.
There are still a few cuts to be made for the roster, but most of the intense battles are starting to look a lot clearer as the season approaches. So much so that you can finally get an idea of what the Oilers’ opening night roster will look like come Oct. 8 against the Calgary Flames.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch has auditioned his lines, and it appears he has found a few that he likes. We’ve even got an idea of what the team will do to help deal with Zach Hyman’s injury for the first month of the season, and it looks like David Tomášek, Isaac Howard, and Matt Savoie are set to crack the lineup.
Here is a rough projection of what the Oilers could roll out when the puck drops on the new campaign.
First line:
Leon Draisaitl – Connor McDavid – Trent Frederic
The first line seems to be set in stone to set the season.
Knoblauch has committed to reuniting Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to help deal with Hyman’s absence. It’s a risky move considering that it takes away from the second line, but this is a proven duo and one of the best in the entire NHL.
On their wing, it appears that Trent Frederic will get a good, long look on the right side, filling in for Hyman. Frederic fits the bill as a big, physical forward with offensive skill and will take on the net-front and forechecking role alongside the superstars.
It’s a trio that has looked good in preseason and will almost assuredly stay together for opening night.
Second line:
Vasily Podkolzin – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Andrew Mangiapane
With Draisaitl pulling top-line duty to start the season, that means Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will have to move back into the middle on the second line.
Knoblauch mentioned that RNH was the obvious choice for second-line centre with Draisaitl absent, and it makes sense. He will likely be joined by newcomer Andrew Mangiapane on his right side and the newly signed Vasily Podkolzin on the other.
RNH proved he could still be an effective centre last season, and having Mangipane and Podkolzin on each wing should make this line work from an offensive standpoint.
Third line:
Adam Henrique – David Tomášek – Matt Savoie
The real intrigue in the Oilers’ forward group starts on the third line.
Edmonton has been trying out newcomer Tomášek at centre for the majority of the preseason, and he’s looked pretty good in that spot. He’s an offensive player with great vision and a hard shot, which should give this line a bit of scoring touch.
Savoie is looking like a lock to make the team, but is likely due for some bottom-six time before he earns a role in the top-six. He’s small, but extremely dependable along the boards and can play a solid 200-foot game. The St. Albert native is also pretty crafty with the puck in the O-zone.
Adam Henrique can play centre and wing, so it remains to be seen what the team decides to do with him. He’ll be the de facto veteran presence on this line no matter where he plays.
Fourth line:
Isaac Howard – Mattias Janmark – Kasperi Kapanen
Ike Howard has gotten a few looks up in the lineup during preseason, but everything Knoblauch has alluded to has been a bottom-six role to start.
The reigning Hobey Baker winner has looked impressive in the preseason, but there does appear to be some adjusting to the NHL game in store for him. This won’t be his long-term spot if everything goes according to plan.
Mattias Janmark feels likely to grab the fourth-line centre spot at least to start. Yes, he’s been outplayed by Noah Philp, but the coaching staff loves Janmark, and it may be too much to ask the coaching staff to trust both Howard and Philp to anchor an NHL line. That could change very quickly, however.
Rounding out the forward group is Kasperi Kapanen, who has looked as speedy and as motivated as ever in preseason action.
First pair:
Mattias Ekholm – Evan Bouchard
No surprises here.
The Oilers’ top defensive pairing of Mattias Ekhom and Evan Bouchard is expected to remain untouched to open the season.
Ekholm is now fully healthy after multiple injury problems last season, while Bouchard is looking to live up to the four-year, $42 million extension he signed last season.
Second pair:
Darnell Nurse – Jake Walman
Darnell Nurse will remain on the Oilers’ second pair to start the season, but he’ll have a new partner.
Though Jake Walman is a natural left-handed defenceman, the Oilers are set to try him out on the right side this season. This isn’t unprecedented, as Walman has played RHD in his career and has looked good doing it.
Nurse has struggled to live up to his hefty contract and hasn’t really clicked with any defensive partners since the team traded away Cody Ceci. The hope is that these two can form some early chemistry to solidify Edmonton’s top-four.
Third pair:
Brett Kulak – Ty Emberson
Edmonton’s resident third-pairing defenceman, Brett Kulak, isn’t changing posts to start the new year.
As for his partner, there has been a fierce battle in the preseason, but one that looks to have been won by Ty Emberson. He has outplayed Troy Stecher for that spot throughout the preseason, after losing that spot for most of last year’s playoff run.
Healthy scratches:
Noah Philp, Alec Regula
The two healthy scratches to start the season are trending toward Alec Regula and Noah Philp, though that could wind up being wrong very easily.
There is a strong argument to be made that Philp should be playing in the Oilers season-opener in place of Janmark. He has outplayed the veteran throughout training camp and should have a spot based on merit, but that decision will come down to the coaching staff.
Regula has been impressive throughout training camp, and the Oilers don’t appear willing to send him through waivers. He’ll likely stay over guys like Troy Stecher and the waiver-exempt Atro Leppänen.