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1st Line:
Milan Lucic - Connor McDavid - Jesse Puljujarvi
Yes, let's start with the fun stuff!
A first line is supposed to impose itself on the opposing team right off the bat, usually through pure skill and determination. This is a line that can do that very well.
With arguably the best player in the league leading the way, Connor McDavid is a lock to center the first line. Despite only playing 45 games with the Oilers due to injury last season, Connor McDavid showed the hockey world that he is a force to be reckoned with. Possessing supersonic speed, and elite level intelligence and vision, not many teams in the NHL will be able to matchup a player who is even on the same plain of skill as McDavid. Doesn't matter who his linemates are (although in this case they are very skilled players) this kid would make Darcy Hordichuk look like a first liner.
On his left wing will be, the big FA signing of the summer, Milan Lucic. Milan is a powerful player, who will make your life difficult on the ice, and on the scoresheet. Milan will see a significant increase in production while playing alongside 97, and his bashful style of play will make it hard for opponents to shut him down. Seeing as to how Patrick Maroon was turned into a point-per-game player while playing with Connor McDavid, Milan Lucic has the potential to be a very special player on this team. His pure size and grit also makes the Oilers a more competitive team in a very heavy Pacific Division.
The 1st line RW to start the season will be none other than NHL newcomer, Jesse Puljujarvi. This was a little harder of a pick for me, as I bounced around the idea of putting Eberle in this spot, but I am confident that the Finn can generate some serious rookie numbers on this first line. Puljujarvi is NHL-ready to most scouts, so the immediate jump to the big leagues isn't something to be concerned with. Described as being one of the most complete players in last year’s draft, Puljujarvi will be able to reap the rewards of playing on a line with two very skilled players. The spotlight will not be on him as much as it will be on Lucic and McDavid, and putting him a complimentary role to begin his NHL career will be good in the long run.
In a Perfect World: Serious hardware. If McDavid and Puljujarvi play a full season together, than I do not think it is entirely impossible to say that they will both bring home the Hart and Calder trophies, respectively, to Edmonton. Similar to how Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin did this past year in Chicago.
Top Scorer: Connor McDavid (Obviously)
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2nd Line:
Benoit Pouliot - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Status quo on the 2nd line.
While the first line is supposed to set the tone of the game, the job of a successful 2nd line is to keep the team rolling. The Oilers will have another great line to do the job.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins wasn't drafted first overall by fluke, he is a damn good player. Fighting off injuries and rampant trade rumours of late, "The Nuge" will be looking to prove his doubters wrong. His vision and quick release are perhaps his greatest tools on the ice. He will excel a finisher of the likes of Jordan Eberle and displayed some great chemistry with Pouliot this past season. Many forget just how good Nugent-Hopkins was during the 2014/15, when he was last healthy. Expect a revamped Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with something to prove.
Occupying the left side is Benoit Pouliot. He's been a fickle character for many fans, as he doesn't utilize his size like he should, but the one thing he can do is put the biscuit in the basket, and make a few good plays here and there. He'll have to work on his discipline, having been the culprit of many lackadaisical penalties against in his career. He's the passenger on this line for sure, but he's been overall consistent and we can expect him to hover around the 15 goal range, maybe 20 if him and Nuge really click.
Jordan Eberle has found his way on many fan's top line coming into this season, but I am taking a different approach for the simple reason of spreading out the offence. Sure, Ebs had great chem with McDavid, but so did Patrick Maroon. Connor McDavid is a skilled enough player to make anyone around him 10x better than they are. So, why not put a premier scorer like Eberle on the second line with a guy like Nuge, who he has experience playing alongside. His elite finish and hands in tight are his greatest attributes and RNH will find him for more than a few goals this coming season.
In a Perfect World: Benoit and Nugent will start where they left off and Pouliot will net a career high in goals (20)!
Top Scorer: Jordan Eberle
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3rd Line:
Patrick Maroon - Leon Draisaitl - Nail Yakupov
Wait, 3 scoring lines!? Guys...
The third line is typically reserved for the more defined and skilled grinders in the league but, as ever changing as the NHL is, it seems those days are changing. Speed and skill is the name of the game and the art of grinding is slowly fading from the playbook, and the Oilers are going right along with that trend.
When the Edmonton Oilers traded Taylor Hall I had a few initial thoughts. The first one was "What the Actual #! @$" and the second was "Poor Leon Draisaitl". It was no secret that Taylor Hall was essential in helping Leon Draisaitl become one of the hottest players halfway through the 2015/16 campaign, and it's going to be interesting to see if the German phenom can learn to lead the way on his own. He will have help, in the likes of a rejuvenated Patrick Maroon and a Nail Yakupov who is trying to slay some demons of his own. The one thing that is guaranteed with Neon Leon is his passing, which is already at the elite level. His playmaking ability will be put the test on this line, and if he succeeds on this line, than we are all in for a very interesting 2017 training camp.
Patrick Maroon didn't waste anytime last season finding his way into fan favourite territory when he was acquired at the trade deadline last season. A big strong player that has a nose for a net, not many thought Maroon would do what he did with the Oilers, which was score...a lot. While most of the credit can be given to his, then line mate, Connor McDavid, we shouldn't dismiss Maroon completely. He plays a solid game and, with the right players, he can be a fantastic complimentary player that can chip in every now and then. Maroon turned some heads, and maybe he can capitalize on Draisaitl's pristine passing ability and keep the good times a rolling.
Nail Yakupov will be an Edmonton Oiler next season, in my honest opinion. You don't trade a player for the sake of trading a player, and Nail Yakupov still has potential to break out. Sure, he hasn't been overly remarkable since his rookie season back in 2012/13 but Nail can still be a very useful player on this team in a depth role. His shot is deadly and his energy with the puck is off the charts, with most of his problems being the result of trying too much. Being on a third line with a centerman like Leon Draisaitl could be a great thing for Yakupov, who has shown success with guys like Derek Roy and Connor McDavid. Accountability is key for his game, and if Draisaitl can take that next step as a leader, than Yakupov could, finally, turn the corner this year.
In A Perfect World: Everything clicks. Leon takes the next step in his development and shows everyone that he can carry a line by himself. Maroon continues his scoring at a slightly lower pace, and Yakupov reached a career high in points.
Top Scorer: Nail Yakupov
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4th Line:
Iiro Pakarinen - Mark Letestu - Zack Kassian
I didn't say grinders were COMPLETELY gone from the game...
The heralded 4th line in hockey is often the bunt of jokes, a place for the goons to do their thing, but that couldn't be further from the truth. These are the grunts, the guys who don't get by on skill, rather that they outwork their opponents through any means necessary. They make your team that much harder to play against each night.
Mark Letestu might not be your traditional 4th liner, being a more offensive player than a grinder, but that is exactly why he is here. Letestu isn't nearly as good as the other centers on this team but he provides an offensive spark to this line. You won't see him mucking it up in the corners as much as Iiro or Kassian, but he will be able to chip in a few points here and there. He makes the cut over a guy like Hendricks because of this fact. While Hendricks may be one of the hardest working players on this team, I think having a more offensive guy like Letestu will benefit the team more as a whole.
Other than Brandon Davidson, I think Iiro Pakarinen was a player that really took me by surprise. Playing in the bottom 6 for the majority of last season, Pakarinen is a very blue collar, guts and glory type of player. He only tallied 5 goals in 63 games for the Oilers last season, but this is a player that we should all keep our eye on. The Oilers obviously saw something, as "Iiro the Hero" was signed to a 1 year contract this past summer. His determined play in the offensive zone is what makes me think he is a perfect fit on Edmonton's 4th line. Could maybe see him bumped up to the third as the year progresses.
I hated Zack Kassian. "Hated", yet I do not hate Kassian anymore. Ever since it was announced that the Oilers had acquired the troubled Kassian, I have slowly come to terms that this guy is an Oiler now, whether I liked it or not. It was a risk acquiring a guy like Kassian, but at the time the Oilers lacked intimidation. They were pushovers for the most part and Kassian helped start the culture change within the roster. He's great at what he does, getting under the skin of the opponent and enforcing his physical will on anyone he can. He makes the Oilers a harder team to play against, and he will make it on as the team's #4 RW because of that reason.
In a Perfect World: Iiro breaks out and has himself an excellent year, making a case to be used more and more in a higher role.
Top Scorer: Iiro Pakarinen
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So there you have it! This is my early prediction of what the Oilers will roll with next season in regards to their forward lines. None of this is set in stone of course, as training camp will surely jumble things up for sure, but at the moment this is what we are left to think about.
Here's a more complete look:
Lucic - McDavid - Puljujarvi
Pouliot - Nugent-Hopkins - Eberle
Maroon - Draisaitl - Yakupov
Pakarinen - Letestu - Kassian
I like the look personally. The Oilers have the opportunity to roll with the fabled 3 scoring lines, and they would be foolish to not at least try it out. I was initially going to put Draisaitl on the wing with Nuge and Eberle, but I thought it would be a smarter and more effective move to play the chem game with Pouliot, and try to see if their is a spark with Draisaitl, Maroon, and Yakupov.
It's going to be a long summer, so I plan on doing something similar to this with our current defensive group.
Don't think I am right?
Comment what you think the Oilers should roll with and tell me why!
Thanks for reading!
If you want to hear more from me then you can follow me on Twitter @PrestonKixFM