Oilers Shake Up Lineup At Practice, Separating McDavid and Draisaitl
The Edmonton Oilers are still trying to find their rhythm early this season, and as a result, the lineup has been changing frequently.
Today at practice, Coach Knoblauch made more significant adjustments to the forward group. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be separated once again, with Jeff Skinner moving back up to the second line.
Vasily Podkolzin and Mattias Janmark were most recently occupying the spot on the second line left wing, and both have now been moved down to the fourth line. Derek Ryan has been moved up to the third line, playing right wing with Adam Henrique and Connor Brown.
Coach Knoblauch seemed to be pairing McDavid and Draisaitl together in the last few games to get their scoring rolling, but it hasn't worked just yet. So far the two superstars have combined for only 5 goals in 6 games, and the Oilers may have trouble winning games as long as they're in a slump. Regardless, everyone in hockey believes that McDavid and Draisaitl will star filling the net again, particularly on the powerplay.
For now, separating McDavid and Draisaitl while promoting Jeff Skinner seems to be a great move from Knoblauch. Skinner in particular has earned the promotion back to the second line, as he's arguably been the team's most consistent performer at even strength. Skinner currently leads the NHL in shots at 5 on 5, and as a legitimate offensive threat, he should be paired with elite passers like McDavid and Draisaitl. Perhaps Jeff Skinner should be moved to the powerplay as well, in place of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
The Oilers will be back home tomorrow night against a quality Carolina Hurricanes team, still looking to really find their groove early in the year. A victory against another playoff contending team like Carolina would be a great way to start.
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