Things aren’t looking good for the Edmonton Oilers, but they have yet to ice a fully healthy lineup.

They recently got Zach Hyman and Mattias Janmark back from injury after that duo missed the first month of the season. Their return has helped, but it also coincided with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kasperi Kapanen bowing out with injuries.

Noah Philp and Curtis Lazar have also been recently sidelined with a couple of injuries.

We have yet to see this edition of the Oilers at full strength, and while the team’s overall play may be disappointing, this is a bit of a silver lining. Perhaps getting all these players back up and playing can help them jump out of this funk and return them to the juggernaut they’ve been over the past few seasons.

Once that happens, it’ll be up to head coach Kris Knoblauch to determine the formation. The 47-year-old bench boss has not been shy about mixing up the lines, maybe a bit too much this season, and he’ll have no choice but to do so again when players return.

So, how should the lines look at full strength? Here’s an idea…

First line:
Matt Savoie – Connor McDavid – Zach Hyman

It’s time to stop defaulting to McDrai every single time things go wrong.

That duo hasn’t nearly been as successful as years past, and it’s clear that the better, more productive thing for this Oilers team is to have those two players on separate lines.

Hyman has been one of Connor McDavid’s most consistent linemates over the past several seasons, so slotting him in at first-line RW is a no-brainer. The production hasn’t come easily for Matt Savoie, but he has looked dangerous and comfortable playing in a top-six role. He possesses the right amount of two-way skill to be a great long-term fit in this spot.

Second line:
Vasily Podkolzin – Leon Draisaitl – Jack Roslovic

It doesn’t appear that the duo of Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin is going anywhere.

It’s been well-documented how much the German superstar loves playing with Podkolzin, and it makes sense. While the young Russian might leave more to be desired from an offensive standpoint, he is a great forechecker who can get the puck onto Draisaitl’s stick.

Jack Roslovic has come onto that line this season and has looked completely comfortable. He’s added another scoring threat to the top-six with seven points in his last six games. This feels like a solid second line right now.

Third line:
Andrew Mangiapane – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Trent Frederic

Moving Nugent-Hopkins down as the permanent third-line centre is long overdue.

That isn’t due to poor performance, more so that it just makes sense from a depth standpoint. RNH is an excellent two-way centreman, and having him take on lesser matchups in the bottom-six is a massive gain for the Oilers.

Mangiapane should provide a decent depth scoring option, while Trent Frederic, in theory, would be a secondary scorer who can add a bit of physicality and jam.

Fourth line:
Mattias Janmark – Adam Henrique – Kasperi Kapanen

With Nugent-Hopkins moving to the third line, the natural spot for Adam Henrique is down on the fourth line.

The veteran of over 1,000 NHL games has lost a step or two as he enters the latter stage of his career, but he has still found a way to contribute offensively here and there. Giving him fewer minutes and less responsibility seems like the right call for Henrique at this point.

Janmark is more of a defensive player, while Kapanen has the potential to add a little offensive kick to the line.