When the Edmonton Oilers training camp opened, coach Kris Knoblauch made it a point to say he would like to build a defined third line with a shutdown vision, also with some physical pop but where does that noble idea stand today?

Ideally, he would even kill for a third line like Florida’s in the last Cup final — centre Anton Lundell between fellow Finn Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand. That line had 57 points throughout the playoffs and was a dagger against the Oilers. But the Oilers weren’t as deep offensively as the Panthers last June, and they still aren’t, on the wings especially.

So, best-laid plans …

Maybe Knoblauch envisioned a third line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as centre — Connor McDavid as first-line centre and Leon Draisaitl at centre on the second line — with Adam Henrique on his left wing and the acerbic Trent Frederic on right, but that’s out the window. Frederic looks to open on right wing with 97 and 29 off exhibitions. Nugent-Hopkins looks like the second-line centre now with Andrew Mangiapane on one wing and fill in the blank on the other.

That could leave the team’s second-best faceoff man Henrique — Draisaitl is No. 1 — at centre on the third line. Maybe with Kasperi Kapanen, a hitter, on one wing. And Czech right-shot centre/right wing David Tomasek figures in there somewhere, doesn’t he?

Where does Knoblauch see Henrique? Left-wing or centre?

“Still don’t know what our team looks like, still cuts to be made. Do we need him at centre? We know he can move up and down on left-wing,” said Knoblauch. “I think it’ll be a little bit of split. … Look at Leon last year, half wing, half centre.’

But what about the defined third line?

“If we want a responsible shutdown line, absolutely Adam would be good there. He wins faceoffs. There’s numerous guys Adam could play with,” said Knoblauch.

“Or maybe it’s a secondary-scoring line. He can give us some offence. Somebody to set him up, he’s probably as good as anybody from the hash-marks in on our team.”

The Oilers don’t have the pieces to make a third line like Florida’s, unfortunately.

“Absolutely a great line. Those three all played in the 4 Nations. They’re not typical third-line guys, they’re all-stars. If we could develop a third line like that, that would be great. That line was as good as many teams’ first lines,” said Knoblauch.

Henrique, 35, is seven games from the milestone 1,000. But at his stage in NHL life, maybe he’s better suited on the wing. Less responsibility, not as much north-south skating to help out the defence in the defensive zone. But, they need him more at his usual centre. He looks just fine, right now. He had a full summer to work out, unlike after the 2024 off-season, when he was coming off an injury in the playoffs and didn’t spend as much time in the gym.

Is he a centre or a left-winger these days?

“Both. Heck, he had me on right wing, too,” laughed Henrique.

“The differences are small things, faceoffs, systems stuff.”

Centres work harder than wingers, though, right? More skating?

“That’s true. The centres are the first man back down low, the wingers never want to go there. You play with two centremen on a line, you can take half the night off,” joked Henrique.

“But we have a lot of guys on our team who can play centre or wing. Early in my career I played with other centremen on a line.”

They would like more than his 27 points with 12 goals last season, for sure. More in the 35-40 point range and 15-17 goals.

Is the team lacking a defined third line?

“I don’t know if lacking’s the right word. Guys fit into roles within the group. Whether top six, bottom six, PK, it’s important to have a role,” said Henrique.

“I think we have a lot of young guys pushing, and they’re looking good. As you go along, the roles get defined. And you need pride in them.”

Henrique does look faster right now than at last year’s camp.

He says he didn’t work on anything special but he had more time. “The year before you’re coming off an injury and have to work around that a bit. But when you’re healthy, you can go all-out. And in camp, you just want to make a good first impression. I’ve said that my whole career, young guy, old guy, in the middle. … Starts with being in shape for whatever’s thrown at you,” he said.

THORNY ISSUE WITH REGULA

Is there a possibility young defenceman Alec Regula opens the season on the Oilers roster? It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds, but that would mean keeping eight defencemen.

They’re wary of putting Regula, 25, who has had an excellent camp, on waivers to send him to Bakersfield because he’s the most valuable type of defencemen, a big right-shot. Maybe Boston would put in a claim after losing him last December, when they were sending him to Providence to rehab after knee surgery.

Regula, signed to a two-year contract after last season, needs games in the minors after missing all of last season with his knee issue. But in the grand scheme, Regula really isn’t that far away from being a No. 6 here with Brett Kulak, with fellow righties Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher in the 6-7 role right now.

“We’re very happy with Regula. He hasn’t played hockey for 16 to 18 months and you can tell his conditioning isn’t what it should be. Why should it, being out that long?” said Knoblauch. “But he’s a big body who covers a lot of space with his long reach. He’s transported the puck, made nice passes. His camp has been really solid.”

COUGH, COUGH

The flu is going through the Oiler lineup. Tomasek and Noah Philp, who is tied with Leon Draisaitl for the exhibition points lead at four and challenging Curtis Lazar for the fourth-line centre spot, didn’t skate Tuesday. Both would be playing in Seattle Wednesday against the Kraken, if not sick. Knoblauch also sounds like he’s got a cold. He said they would be recalling a few bodies from Bakersfield to fill out the lineup.

This ‘n that: Knoblauch says injured second-pairing defenceman Jake Walman will be ready for the opener against Calgary Oct. 8. He might take the last two pre-season games off … If the Oilers decide they want farmhand Philp to be their fourth-line centre, where does that put the off-season free-agent signee Lazar? Could he go on waivers? Who knows? Lazar’s hole card is he an also play right-wing … Free-agent signee Riley Stillman skated Tuesday after he was hurt in the split-squad exhibitions against Calgary 10 days ago. Stillman, who played on the Canes farm squad last year, is likely going on waivers but he’s veteran insurance, with 163 NHL games … NHL teams wanting to send players to the AHL have to put them on waivers Sunday because opening-night rosters have to be in to the league office Monday afternoon. The regular season starts Tuesday night … Winger Max Jones, who injured his leg after five minutes’ work in an earlier exhibition in Winnipeg, has his nose pressed firmly against the glass trying to get a spot after sitting for all 22 playoff games last spring. Knoblauch says he might play in Vancouver Friday. If still hurt, Jones would go on injured reserve to start the Oiler season, eating up a roster spot. Not ideal … If right wing Quinn Hutson plays in Seattle, that’s six exhibitions. He’s likely going to Bako, but clearly they like his progress.