The Edmonton Oilers’ forward deployment is starting to raise a bigger question than any single game: what exactly is the top priority this season? Is it winning the Stanley Cup, or is it making sure Connor McDavid stays around for another contract? That debate probably belongs closer to summer 2027, but the way the forwards are being used makes it hard not to talk about it now.
The results so far have tracked pretty closely with what was expected. At home against Vancouver, the Oilers were projected to go 1-0 and came away 0-0-1.
On the road in Vancouver, the expected split was again 1-0, and they delivered 1-0-0. The rest of the slate included a home game against Seattle, road trips to Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles, home dates with Mammoth, Minnesota, Carolina, Toronto, Detroit and Calgary, plus a road game against the New York Islanders.
The expected mark through 14 games was 9-4-1, good for 19 points.
The line results were just as uneven. McDavid’s line has produced 3-0 goals, all at five-on-five, while the other three lines have combined for 2-6.
The top unit has been exactly what everyone thought it would be. Vasily Podkolzin has been excellent.
The second line is built around a rookie center, a winger who spent the last three seasons in Switzerland, and a veteran winger whose max speed has been 33kmh. The third line, though, has been the weakest group.
Colton Dach is a good young player, but he is not a center, even if Babcock wants him there because of his size, his edge, and the way he can affect a game. Whether he can eventually play the position is still an open question, but it is not a strength right now.
Max Jones has not found it yet either, sitting at 0-4 goals at five-on-five. Kasperi Kapanen has been 1-1 goals with Leon and 0-4 without him.
Same old story.
There were a few positives from the fourth line, which probably means it won’t be sticking around. Trent Frederic posted an 88th percentile max speed and scored a goal, with Ike Howard picking up the assist after winning the point and doing useful things.
Josh Samanski is a player the team likes, but he only got 8:40 of ice time last night. Babcock doesn’t like his sideburns.
That leaves the bigger strategic question hanging over everything: is Babcock really sold on this as the best path forward, or does he still need to sort through the four wingers who could skate with 97-29 at center? If the goal is to get the best possible result, splitting the Glimmer Twins is the move.
On the blue line, the Ekholm-Bouchard pair remains money, even if most of their work came with McDavid-Draisaitl. That was the right call.
Still, the standout in this stats pack was Shea-Murphy. In 14:06 away from McDavid, the pair finished 1-1 in goals and 4-4 in shots.
The expected goals number sat at 36 percent, but on a night when things went off the rails, that was still a promising line.
Devon Levi’s night was harder to pin down. For the first half, it was “Lonely Boy”; for the second half, it was “Blitzkrieg Bop.” There’s not much else to say about evaluating that performance with any real confidence.
And on The Lowdown, the conversation turns right back to the same central issue: what is the priority for the Edmonton Oilers right now? Steve Lansky is the featured guest, with listener input welcomed as well. The show runs noon to 2pm on Sports 1440 and You Tube.
In Other News...
Oilers Suddenly Have A Goalie Opportunity Fans Did Not Expect
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The crease change comes amid a longer injury shuffle for Edmonton, with Tristan Jarry having struggled and Frederik Andersen sidelined, while the forward group is also taking hits. Zach Hyman will miss the game, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been moved to injured reserve, forcing the Oilers to call up Josh Samanski from the AHL to help fill out the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Huge Night Still Left Fans Worried About One Problem
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Oilers Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Test Josh Samanski
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Now, the Oilers suddenly have a real opening to see what Samanski can handle under pressure. An emergency recall put him back on the NHL roster because of injuries, giving Edmonton a chance to evaluate whether his blend of size, structure and limited offense can hold up against bigger responsibilities. For a team always searching for affordable depth down the middle, his ability to survive this stretch may tell them a lot about how quickly he can move from promising call-up to something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]