Oilers coach Knoblauch gives huge promotion to Corey Perry at practice
With just twelve games left until the playoffs, Oilers coach Knoblauch continued to juggle the lineup, but also wouldn't reveal its deployment at all today before their matchup against St. Louis.
The only significant detail to come out of today's lineup at all was the fact that Corey Perry will be joining the top six, and Warren Foegele will be bumped down to the bottom six. Looking at the lineup from last game, a direct swap in the lineup could make sense. There could be plenty of reasons the Oilers didn't take line rushes today, most likely being they're just having an easier practice near the end of a tough schedule.
It would certainly be a new look second line, but also gives two wingers with high-end offensive ability to play with Leon Draisaitl. A serious drawback on face value though would be the limited speed of all players on that line. However, the pairing of Kane, McLeod, and Foegele could create a fast and explosive shut down checking line.
Any sort of real high functioning third line is an unbelievable great asset in the playoffs. Right now, this lineup move seems more like finding an ideal third line combination than it does a promotion or demotion for Perry and Foegele. Around this time, Knoblauch should be locking in a playoff lineup, one to deploy consistently down the stretch to allow players to develop chemistry. We're now just weeks away from the most important playoff run in the McDavid Oilers' era.
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