The Edmonton Oilers have reached the point where the obvious move might also be the smartest one: separate Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
With injuries ripping through the forward group - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Matt Savoie, Colton Dach, Jason Dickinson, Mattias Janmark, and Zach Hyman all sidelined - Edmonton has been forced to improvise. That has meant leaning hard on a top line of McDavid, Draisaitl, and Vasily Podkolzin, and to be fair, that trio has been excellent. At 5-on-5, they’ve logged 83:22 together, outscored opponents 11-1, and owned a 52-18 edge in chances, including 22-9 in high-danger looks.
The problem is what’s happening everywhere else.
Once that top group leaves the ice, the Oilers’ lineup has not held up. The team has been rolling with what amounts to three fourth lines, and the production simply isn’t there.
That was part of the issue against the Utah Mammoth, where Edmonton’s heavy top-line usage didn’t translate into enough support elsewhere. The effort was there, but the Oilers didn’t have the skill depth to keep pace.
That’s why keeping McDavid and Draisaitl together is starting to look like a luxury Edmonton can’t afford right now.
The center situation is a big part of the problem. Trent Frederic, Filip Hallander, and Kasperi Kapanen formed the second line, but that is not the kind of unit that gives a contender much breathing room.
Hallander and Frederic have been pushed into center roles they shouldn’t really be filling, and the injuries only make the picture uglier. Still, the Oilers can’t keep loading up the top end and expect the rest of the lineup to survive on fumes.
The schedule ahead makes that even clearer. Edmonton’s next three games are against the Mammoth, the Minnesota Wild, and the Carolina Hurricanes.
All three are playoff teams, and two are described as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. Against that kind of competition, one elite line won’t be enough.
If McDavid and Draisaitl stay together, opposing coaches get an easy game plan: focus on shutting down one line and force the Oilers’ thinner groups to do the rest.
Separating the two stars changes that equation. It gives Edmonton elite talent on more than one line and makes matchups tougher for the other side.
It also keeps both McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice as much as possible. After the last game, Mike Babcock said he had played the big guns too much; McDavid finished with 25:52 and Draisaitl with 23:00.
If they drive their own lines, at least one of them should be out there more often, which is exactly the point.
There are a few ways Edmonton could line things up, though the current injury situation leaves little room for perfection. Hyman is not included in the possible combinations, with the hope that he returns in the next few games. Frederic probably does not belong on the top line, but he may have to move up for now unless Hyman is ready to reclaim that spot and push Frederic down the order.
There is also a case for giving Howard a bigger opportunity. He does not fit on the fourth line, and with this many forwards hurt, the Oilers may as well find out what he can do with better skill around him.
The second line could use the kind of continuity it has already shown as well. That group has spent 12:16 together at 5-on-5 this season, outchanced opponents 12-0, and outshot them 14-2, which is exactly the kind of chemistry Edmonton needs to lean on right now.
The third line may not bring much scoring, but it can still serve a purpose with speed, physicality, and energy. That is where the Oilers are: working with what they have and trying to squeeze as much as possible out of a battered lineup until help arrives.
In Other News...
Jake Walman Is Testing Edmontons Bet On Him Early
Jake Walmans start to the 2026-27 season has put a fresh spotlight on the long-term bet Edmonton made when it locked him into a seven-year extension before last season. The Oilers expected a steady, minutes-eating defenseman who could help stabilize the blue line, but injuries and uneven play have made his early stretch a little more complicated than the contract suggested.
The numbers have been mixed so far, with some encouraging shot-attempt results offset by the kind of expected-goals-against profile that raises questions about fit and usage. Edmonton may need to keep experimenting with his defensive partners and overall role to find a better match, because this is still a player the organization clearly believes in even if the opening weeks have not made that belief easy to see. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Linked To A Top-Six Target They May Struggle To Land
A potential top-six addition is already hovering around the Oilers radar, even if the path to getting him looks like a long shot. If Philadelphia decides to make changes, Travis Konecny has come up as a possible fit in Edmonton, the kind of winger who would immediately draw attention for a team still looking to reinforce its forward group without disrupting the rest of the roster.
The catch is the usual one for Edmonton at this stage: money and assets. Any serious pursuit would likely force the Oilers to move salary back the other way, and they are not exactly sitting on a deep reserve of prospect capital either. So while the link is real enough to keep an eye on, it also feels like the sort of idea that tests how creative Edmonton can get before the market and the cap start closing in. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Forward Depth Suddenly Has A New Jason Dickinson Problem
Edmontons forward depth took another hit Thursday when Jason Dickinson was unavailable after getting hurt in practice, adding a fresh complication to a role the Oilers had already been trying to stabilize. For a player whose start was delayed by a foot and ankle issue in the preseason, it was a familiar sort of interruption at an inconvenient time, one that left the team adjusting again on the fly.
The injury is separate from the ankle problem that slowed Dickinson earlier, which matters because the Oilers were hoping to build some continuity around him after that delayed ramp-up. Instead, they are suddenly dealing with another absence in a part of the lineup that can least afford churn, and the uncertainty now lingers over how long he might be out and what it means for Edmontons depth chart going forward. [Read more 🡒]