For the Edmonton Oilers, the center spot has always been the place where the whole operation starts to make sense.
That idea goes all the way back to the franchise’s first NHL training camp in the fall of 1979, when Wayne Gretzky was lined up as the top center and Glen Sather was already talking about trying Mark Messier there. Sather eventually made that move five years later, and it paid off with a Stanley Cup.
The 1990 camp, the year the Oilers won the last Stanley in franchise history, had center depth that looked almost unfair. The roster at the position was loaded with Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Craig MacTavish, Craig Simpson, Kevin McClelland, Mark Lamb and Jimmy Carson. Even with the usual contract issues and some departures around camp - Darryl Reaugh leaving via free agency, Esa Tikkanen wanting out and Grant Fuhr feuding with Slats - the middle of the ice looked like a major strength.
John Muckler’s group had clearly defined jobs for its key centers. Messier brought the offense and the edge.
MacTavish was the checking anchor. Carson, though, did not fit as cleanly, and the trade in November 1989 that sent Carson and McClelland to the Detroit Red Wings brought back Adam Graves, Joe Murphy, Petr Klima and Jeff Sharples.
That deal helped produce the Kid Line, with Graves at center at times - though Mark Lamb also handled some of that work - and Murphy and Martin Gelinas on the wings. It gave Edmonton a third line it could actually trust behind Messier’s group and MacTavish’s shutdown unit, and that mattered.
Messier spent the year driving play with two of Jari Kurri, Esa Tikkanen, Glenn Anderson and Craig Simpson, while MacTavish and Lamb chipped in as well. The Carson trade has faded over time, but it was a real piece of that 1990 run.
This year’s Oilers are obviously not that team, but the center picture still matters a lot, especially with Mike Babcock sorting through the roster and more turnover likely as the season unfolds.
Leon Draisaitl is the No. 1 line’s center, no matter what gets said on the broadcasts. He’s also the one checking back to make sure things stay tidy in the defensive zone. Jason Dickinson looks like the closest thing to the old MacTavish role from 1989-90, with a chance to skate with scoring wingers while still carrying a heavy defensive load in a lot of games.
That leaves Nugent-Hopkins, Owen Michaels and Josh Samanski competing for the other center spots. If Babcock can run Nugent-Hopkins with Hyman and Podkolzin, with Savoie stepping into Hyman’s place on the top line, Edmonton could end up with three lines that can still beat people offensively.
The preferred setup, though, remains McDavid and Draisaitl on separate lines. That gives the Oilers two strong groups that can outscore opponents, plus a third line built to shut people down and a fourth line that can bring energy and edge.
The current top line may be chasing glory, but Babcock has a difficult stretch coming, and a different look may be coming soon. Expect something close to the playoff alignment against Utah, Minnesota and Carolina.
And don’t worry about Leon’s wingers - that’s where the middling rise to superb.
On the Lowdown today, Shawn Belle will talk about the hazards of taking mostly own-zone shift starts and playing behind a checking line tasked with shadowing the elite players. It’s a roundtable day, so the show will also dig into the Oilers lineup, the Kings’ problems, the Flyers’ rough start, plus the Elks, MLB playoffs, the NFL and more. Noon to 2 p.m. on Sports 1440 and You Tube.
In Other News...
Oilers May Have Pulled Off Two Steals And One Looks Even Bigger
The early returns on Edmontons recent trade work have been hard to ignore, especially with Vasily Podkolzin giving the forward group a burst the Oilers could use. He has scored seven goals in six games and already looks like the kind of addition that can push deeper into the lineup over time, not just fill a spot in the middle six. For a team that has opened the season with a strong record, those kinds of quick returns can make a front office look awfully sharp.
Devon Levi has added a different kind of value in goal, staying undefeated and turning in impressive numbers in his recent starts. His arrival gave Edmonton another option in a position where stability always matters, and the fact that both moves are paying off at once has only raised the profile of the deals. One looks like a timely boost, the other may be starting to feel like a bigger swing altogether, which is exactly the sort of outcome the Oilers were hoping for. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Keep Winning But This Latest Escape Raises A Real Debate
The Oilers kept their unbeaten run rolling with a 4-1 win over the Kings, moving to 5-0-1 and remaining the NHLs only team without a regulation loss. Leon Draisaitl helped drive the offense, Vasily Podkolzin scored twice, and Connor McDavid piled up four assists in his 800th game, another reminder that Edmonton can still tilt a night its way even when the shot totals say otherwise.
Devon Levi may have been the biggest reason it all held together. He turned aside 39 of 40 shots while Edmonton spent long stretches defending rather than dictating, which only sharpened the conversation around how sustainable this start really is. The wins are piling up, but the formula has looked different enough each night that the Oilers early-season success now comes with a lingering question about what happens when the margin for error finally shrinks. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Face A Goaltending Decision That Could Define Their Season
Early in the season, the Oilers are already staring at a familiar but urgent problem in net, with Tristan Jarry, Frederik Andersen and Devon Levi all under scrutiny as the club tries to steady the position. It is the kind of issue that can quietly shape everything around it, from the way Edmonton manages its games to how much pressure lands on the skaters in front of the crease.
The market for a fix looks complicated. Connor Hellebuyck, Sam Montembeault, Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill all surface as possible answers, but each comes with real obstacles tied to contract status, performance concerns or the sheer difficulty of prying a goalie loose. For now, Edmonton may be left weighing whether the cleanest move is no move at all, and simply hoping one of its current options settles in before the season gets away from it. [Read more 🡒]