Edmonton Oilers Opening Night Lineup Predictions

Edmonton Oilers Opening Night Lineup Predictions

Liam and I put together just based on day one of camp, how we’re feeling, using some foresight, all of that stuff, what we think the lineup will be on opening night. And I think maybe what we’ll do, Liam, every Friday heading into the season, we’ll change them, right? Do a little P like, okay, I’m doing this. I like this. I like how this guy’s playing. All that stuff. So, here is I’ll go first. My lineup. Uh, I’ll start with this blue lines. We are both the same. Both the same. Unless Alec Regula can somehow outdo Tyson. probably both agree that would be like the step though. Yeah, that’d be the one. But like I have Ekholm with Bouch. I have Nurse with Walman. I have Koulak with Emerson. Forwards. I have Mania sticking with McDavid on the top line. I have Trent Frederick getting that job. And we’re going to have more on this later, but I think Trent Frederick’s going to get some opportunities to prove himself a little bit. They obviously made the eight-year commitment to him. I think they’ll want to see if he’s a fit with 97 with him out. I like Frederick as kind of a netfront guy and all of that. He obviously has scoring touch. He’s scored 18 goals in the NHL before when his most common linemates were Morgan Geeky and like a 37y old James Van Remdsteike. I think he’s got better boots than he showed us. I think that leg injury, that lower body injury hampered him way, way more than a lot of people were giving him credit for, willing to excuse him for. So I got Frederick on my top line with Matt Gapani and McDavid. I got Dryidle with Pud Coulson and Matt Seavoy. I know I talked about maybe Matt Seavoy working with Nooj and giving you a third line that can score, but I like Seavoi to be with Dryside. I think stylistically they’re a perfect fit. Putting some finesse and some skill on that line and then having the pit bull and Pud Coulson on the left side. I think that’d be great. Um I know Ryan says Frederick was signed to be the third line center. I think they are way more committed to Ryan Nan Hopkins being the good veteran third line center on this team. I have him and this is the one line where I was wincing and wasn’t sure if I wanted it there. Howard with NG and Thomas. That is the first one I want to get your take on. Uh what do you think of me going Howard Thomas? Putting two guys who have never played an NHL game on the third line with Ryan Njan Hopkins. I think it can work. I I wonder if they go for more a defensive approach on that line. As I say this, I can’t remember what I did on my third line, so I might have done the same one to be honest. But on on Thomas, I think they do really like his wall play. That was something specifically that um Chris Narblock said. Can he be something similar to what Connor Brown was in a way with like I don’t think he’s going to be as physical as what Connor Brown was. And I know Connor Brown’s not running guys through the boards, but like Thomas X said he’s like in the SHL you just don’t hit because the ice is so big. So you get caught out of position if you hit a guy. Yeah. Yeah. So that’ll change. I wonder if they bump up Iikawa just slightly just to protect him a little bit more from the defensive responsibilities. Yeah, but I I don’t hate it. I could see this definitely being this the setup on that third line. Uh fourth line I have Henrik with Kaan and Yanmark. Put some speed on the wings, we’ll call it like Kan and Yanmark, you know, they they they’re good on the boards. They can forche. Henrik, I get it at his money isn’t great. And I do agree that we’re going to see Henrique play more wing than center. The only way I can see him starting like there’s a couple of paths to him starting on the wing. One of them would be Frederick plays fourth line center. Thomas they talked about maybe being a fourthline center. The other option would be Howard starts in the American League. Henrik is up on the third line as a winger with NG and Thomas and Philp or Lazar make the team as your fourth line center. That was kind of the only calculation only way I could see it. But I also do know Chris Nlock. I think he likes constants and if he is to go into the year and be like, you know what, Henrik is on my fourth line, I think he’s comfortable with that. So, I think it’s a bit of a comfort play almost for me going Henrique on the fourth line. And I think again, I’m thinking about balance here a little bit where you have a clearly defined top six and a clearly defined bottom six. That Howard Thomas egg nude line has to eat a lot of ozone starts. So, I think you can trust Kappa and Yanmar Henrik to eat a lot of the Dzone starts. And I like how those two lines kind of play off each other. There’s my lineup. There’s my reasoning. Liam, yours. Let’s have a look. See what I did. You forget already. I remember my top line. Um, there you go. First line, Nooj, McDavid, Seavoi, Pure Skill. I think with Zack Heyman out of the lineup, I think we’ll see Nooj in the top six to start the season. Once Hyman comes back, maybe that’s when NG falls down a little bit more. Uh, second line, Pod Cole’s in Deton. We did see this line actually have some success in the the playoffs if I’m not mistaken. Right. You forgot a player. Who did I forget? Many. Oh [ __ ] Oh, you literally said before the show you’re like, I think I’m forgetting someone. I was like, oh, it’s cuz man was on the top line with N. Okay, this is what I’m going to do then. Okay, put that back up. Sorry. Yeah, I got bad eyes. God damn it. Okay. [ __ ] Okay, first line’s the same. Second line. Okay, that’s what I’ll do. Many for captain. No, man is going where Curtis Lazar uh Lazar will go. Yamar can play on the right side. Mania will be on the fourth line. Let me I did not judge your lines. I will read it and give you my judgment. Top line’s the same. Third line calls in dry side or capping him. H uh Howard Frederick Thomas and then fourth line mania Henrik and Yamark and that’ll be essentially my third shutdown line. I don’t think you can look at this as like that’s my fourth line. They’re playing 10 minutes because they’re obviously way too good of a fourth line if you have Manon. I would even say the same thing if Lazar is out there. I think that they’re going to have defensive responsibilities and I could see that being it. I can also see if we come to opening night and Howard’s struggling, that’s when Mania climbs his way up the lineup. I just think there’s a lot of versatility on within this team that he can throw things around. The one I’m locked on though, the five players I would 100% lock in on is that’s where they’ll play my first line and pod causing and dry. Yeah, I I I could get behind this a little bit more if you had manip on the second line. I just think they’re going to give him top six minutes out of the gate perhaps. I mean, he did SC with McDavid yesterday, of course, but I take that with a bit of a grain of salt because the lines are split up and everything, but I just think it’s funny though, isn’t it? Like, cuz you look at that lineup, even without mania, it’s actually not bad. They have depth. Yeah, he’s really not bad. I I’m not I’m not as high on Curtis Lazar as you are. I I don’t think we’ll actually see him all that much this year. Um I just think the right shot sentiment thing is something they really wanted. I really do. They went out and got three guys. You can play right shot center. Yeah. The fact only one of them would make the team, the other one being Phelp. Um I just think it’s crazy. M goes imagine having a $10 million fourth line. I don’t give a [ __ ] how much they honest cuz they’re all under the cap. You know who else doesn’t give a [ __ ] how much they make? Chris Not. No. Okay. If we want to use that logic of like $10 million fourth line, then your fourth line based off money value is Pod Coin, Philp Kaepern. Yeah. are like Thomas, Howard, and like the money is so irrelevant once they get on the ice. I really don’t care. It’s like you were saying before like Frederick is maybe too expensive to be a fourthline center, who gives a [ __ ] If he goes out there and he he stops the other guy from scoring goals consistently, then that’s what matters the most. So like and Muick and to I don’t know if this is agreeing or disagreeing with you, but like where I’ll what I’ll say is I don’t think money matters as much as like organizational commitment at some point. Sure. So like Frederick, you can argue, yeah, sure, they signed him to be third line center. No, I think they just signed him to play top nine minutes. Yeah. So like I don’t think they’re going to bury him on the fourth line with Yanmar and Thomas E and be like go out there. Like I think they’re going to give him a look higher in the lineup with skill and I I’m higher on the player than most. Sure. Um Frederick. Yeah, Frederick. I like Frederick. Man, Gioani, I don’t think you come out of the gates with your free agent acquisition sitting on your fourth line. Like I just don’t think they would. I think they’ll move. I think they’re going to struggle with that left wing maybe cuz it’s either okay so based off that man on the fourth line if man is not there then who’s there who did you captain Kappa fourth line left wing what did I yeah or Yanmark’s on the left and captain’s on the right so then you had mani pod call and right so then that is then your centenners are one of an expensive one is on the fourth line your trade deadline acquisition I just think like either way like it’s a really good problem to have. Yeah. Yeah. And again, you’re shuffling guys around here. That’s part of it. I think it’ll flex quite a bit throughout the year. I was really trying to find a way to get uh Henrik on a wing. Me, too. And I don’t want him on the first line if Heyman’s not there. Yeah. I worry about making the top line too slow. Maybe a top line. That could be something. Henrik McDavid Mania. I don’t like I don’t hate that. It doesn’t like I’m not gagging as I say it. Henry, I I just think you have enough skill on the right side that you could have someone decent there. What’s up, Nation citizens? If you like that video, then you need to be subscribed to the Oilers Nation YouTube podcast, live shows, exclusive interviews, and analysis. Everything you need from your favorite voices at Oilers Nation. And you don’t want to miss any of it. So, hammer that subscribe button.

The Edmonton Oilers are getting closer to opening night, and the big question is what the lineup will look like when the puck finally drops. With veterans locked into key roles, the real intrigue comes from the new faces and young talent pushing for a spot. Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie are both looking to make a statement in camp, while David Tomasek could provide valuable depth if he earns his way onto the roster.

Tyler and Liam break down their predictions for the Oilers’ opening night lineup, who has the inside track on cracking the roster, and how these newcomers might fit into the mix. They also look at how Edmonton’s depth compares to last season and what this could mean for their chances of starting the year strong.

How would you like to see the Oilers lineup set up?

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