Line Combos: 2023/2024 Line Combinations

[SwedishFire]

I think we need to see who the final forward the Oilers bring in is to determine if the team is better or worse than it was to end the season.

Right now the top 6 is probably a bit better with Brown in over Yamamoto but the bottom 6 is worse with Kostin and Bjugstad out.

Bottom 6 players are usually pretty easy to add at the deadline or even via waivers through the season though. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal if the forward group is mildly weaker to start the season.

The fact that there haven’t been any changes to the backend or in net is where my concerns are. Two weakest areas and the team is the same. Doesn’t make sense to me.

Bringing in a great to good 3rd liner could be an issue. Those often goes for 2,5 - whatever in cap. Players know their value. A good 3rd liner is still a very good player and better than most.
Wich good players doesnt seek their best offer?

 

[Joey Moss]

Kane - McDavid - Brown
Holloway - Draisaitl - Hyman
Foegele - RNH - Bourgault/Lavoie
Janmark - McLeod - Ryan

Nurse - Bouchard
Ekholm - Broberg
Kulak - Ceci
Desharnais

 

[Duke74]

Spread the wealth:

McLeod-McDavid-Brown
Kane-Draisaitl-Foegele
Holloway-RNH-Hyman
Janmark-Ryan - x

Keeps our top guys somewhat rested and allows us to ice a balanced lineup to compete with elite teams.

 

[AM]

I think they need to become a 4 line team. It’s a lot more likely you get performance where you don’t expect it if you allow them to see the ice.

 

[jukon]

Honestly I don't like to see McDavid and Draisaitl together. Similar to Crosby/Malkin we need them to spread their minutes and not have one pairing just try to shut that line down. They should be apart as much as possible, except for the PP.

 

[K1984]

Regular season wise (team being healthy) I think they can finish 1 or 2 in the Conference.

Regular season is not so much the issue.

It's all about the playoffs and in the playoffs a team like Vegas or Colorado can beat us by taking advantage of weaknesses, kind of like a video game boss that is overpowered but when you spot its weak points you can exploit them to win.

We can't have Cody Ceci in the top 4, and either Skinner/Campbell need to show much bigger things (and still is even a risk) or one of the two needs to be upgraded before the playoffs.

Now fortunately there's obviously time between now and the start of the post-season, but I'm more focused on that.

If the goals against are inflating again through 20-25 games ... fire Woodcroft. He'll have had more than enough time to institute a defensive system, if it's still being picked apart or not showing improvement, he needs to go.

IMO not having Yamamoto being forced into the top 6 (and even more stunningly the PK) is going to help immensely in the playoffs. He got absolutely rag dolled in the Vegas series and it made it impossible to win or at least saw off both matchups in the top 6.

Ceci absolutely can play top 4 in the playoffs. He just did it quite well two years ago when he wasn't hurt. There is also plenty of time to acquire an upgrade in season a la Ekholm last year if he stinks again.

As far as team defense goes I don't perceive the issue being personnel, I perceive the issue being commitment to playing the right way from top to bottom. I hope I don't jinx it, but I think that FINALLY the group is starting to understand that dipsy doodle high event hockey will not win. Everyone has been saying the right things in this regard since the end of the year, and I am optimistic that this will actually come to fruition this year.

Goaltending is a crap shoot, if I were to bet I think the safer bet is to commit to better defensive play combined with improvement from Skinnner and a return to at least being a good backup level goalie for Campbell. Going all out to change this position is almost more likely to backfire as it is to help.

 

[Soundwave]

IMO not having Yamamoto being forced into the top 6 (and even more stunningly the PK) is going to help immensely in the playoffs. He got absolutely rag dolled in the Vegas series and it made it impossible to win or at least saw off both matchups in the top 6.

Ceci absolutely can play top 4 in the playoffs. He just did it quite well two years ago when he wasn't hurt. There is also plenty of time to acquire an upgrade in season a la Ekholm last year if he stinks again.

As far as team defense goes I don't perceive the issue being personnel, I perceive the issue being commitment to playing the right way from top to bottom. I hope I don't jinx it, but I think that FINALLY the group is starting to understand that dipsy doodle high event hockey will not win. Everyone has been saying the right things in this regard since the end of the year, and I am optimistic that this will actually come to fruition this year.

Goaltending is a crap shoot, if I were to bet I think the safer bet is to commit to better defensive play combined with improvement from Skinnner and a return to at least being a good backup level goalie for Campbell. Going all out to change this position is almost more likely to backfire as it is to help.

Ceci got destroyed in the Avs series. He can't play in the top 4 against a really good team, in a 7 game series teams that good, they will zero in on Nurse + Ceci and take their lunch money.

Goaltending wise the Oilers are probably going to have a decision to make at some point as to whether they seriously think deep down this tandem is good enough.

 

[K1984]

Ceci got destroyed in the Avs series. He can't play in the top 4 against a really good team, in a 7 game series teams that good, they will zero in on Nurse + Ceci and take their lunch money.

Goaltending wise the Oilers are probably going to have a decision to make at some point as to whether they seriously think deep down this tandem is good enough.

Nurse got destroyed in the Avs series. Don't discount how absolutely horrific he was in Game 1 and 2 especially and that had nothing to do with Ceci.

 

[Soundwave]

Nurse got destroyed in the Avs series. Don't discount how absolutely horrific he was in Game 1 and 2 especially and that had nothing to do with Ceci.

They both did.

If you want to win in the playoffs, this is a massive problem, do people here think other teams' coaching staffs don't look at our roster and show their team video and zero in on our D?

You are joking yourself if you think it does not happen. Ceci will get overwhelmed any time he is in a 7 game series with another really good team.

 

[K1984]

They both did.

If you want to win in the playoffs, this is a massive problem, do people here think other teams' coaching staffs don't look at our roster and show their team video and zero in on our D?

You are joking yourself if you think it does not happen. Ceci will get overwhelmed any time he is in a 7 game series with another really good team.

The bigger problem is Nurse imploding and basically single handedly losing games. If he cut out the games where he implodes Ceci playing 2021-22 Ceci hockey isn't going to be a problem.

I'm not saying I don't think we need to upgrade there if we can, but I don't think it's as major a problem as people are making it out to be. If Darnell steps up like he should it is less of an issue on that basis alone.

 

[Soundwave]

The bigger problem is Nurse imploding and basically single handedly losing games. If he cut out the games where he implodes Ceci playing 2021-22 Ceci hockey isn't going to be a problem.

Nurse is not going anywhere because of his monster contract, so that basically leaves Ceci.

There's a reason why Pittsburgh would not play Ceci in the top 4 with any regularity though I think.

 

[KCC]

Honestly I don't like to see McDavid and Draisaitl together. Similar to Crosby/Malkin we need them to spread their minutes and not have one pairing just try to shut that line down. They should be apart as much as possible, except for the PP.

It only should apply if the team is really struggling and they need to try and get a boost, otherwise keep them apart.

 

[K1984]

Nurse is not going anywhere because of his monster contract, so that basically leaves Ceci.

There's a reason why Pittsburgh would not play Ceci in the top 4 with any regularity though I think.

Nurse has the ability to be better than last year. That’s what has to happen. Like it or not; it is what it is with our cap situation.

 

[SwedishFire]

Spread the wealth:

McLeod-McDavid-Brown
Kane-Draisaitl-Foegele
Holloway-RNH-Hyman
Janmark-Ryan - x

Keeps our top guys somewhat rested and allows us to ice a balanced lineup to compete with elite teams.

First line sux.

McLeod McDavid Hyman
Kane Draisaitl Fogele
Holloway Nuge Brown
Jarnmark Ryan Caggiugugugagaliuilila

 

[barry halls]

It doesn’t really matter what the line combos look like, with this defense and goaltending it will take a miracle for them to make it to the finals.

 

[duul]

They both did.

If you want to win in the playoffs, this is a massive problem, do people here think other teams' coaching staffs don't look at our roster and show their team video and zero in on our D?

You are joking yourself if you think it does not happen. Ceci will get overwhelmed any time he is in a 7 game series with another really good team.

Imagine being the opposition and seeing that all of Nurse, Ceci, Desharnais, and Broberg are out there in warmup? That must give an offensive player so much confidence. Knowing that collectively they're going to cost Edmonton a couple goals a night guaranteed as we saw in the playoffs.

 

[Soundwave]

Imagine being the opposition and seeing that all of Nurse, Ceci, Desharnais, and Broberg are out there in warmup? That must give an offensive player so much confidence. Knowing that collectively they're going to cost Edmonton a couple goals a night guaranteed as we saw in the playoffs.

Imagine it in reverse, if we ever got to play against a team that had Nurse/Ceci/Desharnais/Broberg + Skinner on the back end.

McDavid/Draisaitl would murder that group and we'd win the series in 5 games. Vegas looked throughly beatable just with Broissoit in, imagine if you got to play against Broissoit the whole series + added multiple other rookies to their back end + put Ceci on their top pairing + Nurse's brain farts.

We'd win easily. Obviously our back end is still a big problem. We have enough fire power to get away with it in the regular season and maybe for a playoff round, but eventually you run into a Vegas or Colorado where they will fully exploit those weaknesses.

You cannot give those teams any "easy pickings" on your roster, because they will zero in and take advantage.

 

[Duke74]

First line sux.

McLeod McDavid Hyman
Kane Draisaitl Fogele
Holloway Nuge Brown
Jarnmark Ryan Caggiugugugagaliuilila

Yeah, that's the one disadvantage is that you saddle McDavid with lesser wingers while Nuge and Draisaitl get one good winger each. What you proposed can work too, but Nuge/Hyman have good chemistry and would obliterate third-line competition while McDavid has two defensively-minded wingers to allow him to freewheel offensively.

 

[McShogun99]

I'd like to see these duos for our lineup;

Mcdavid-Brown
Draisaitl-Kane
RNH-Hyman
Mcleod-Foegele

Insert Holloway, Ryan, Janmark etc into whatever spot works best.

We also have a soft schedule to start so we should put Broberg with Ekholm to get him used to top 4 minutes and Bouchard with Nurse.

 

[SwedishFire]

Imagine being the opposition and seeing that all of Nurse, Ceci, Desharnais, and Broberg are out there in warmup? That must give an offensive player so much confidence. Knowing that collectively they're going to cost Edmonton a couple goals a night guaranteed as we saw in the playoffs.

I dont think Ceci is a baf player, just Nurse is a bad fit.
Why not try Kulak Ceci.
Nurse Broberg

 

[Fourier]

There is no reason to expect fixed lines. One of the big advantages to having guys who can play multiple positions is to take advantage of the opportunities that the opposition presents. Having the ability to play McDavid and Draisaitl either together or apart depending on circumstance is a huge plus for the team.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

There is no reason to expect fixed lines. One of the big advantages to having guys who can play multiple positions is to take advantage of the opportunities that the opposition presents. Having the ability to play McDavid and Draisaitl either together or apart depending on circumstance is a huge plus for the team.

Agreed and just being able to toggle RNH between W and C gives them alot of options to work with. I’m really hopeful that one of Lavoie or Bourg has a good camp, I’d like to see them be a 4 line team to start the year, give some young guys chances up and down the lineup and keep the 5v5 minutes down for guys like Hyman and RNH and 97/29. I’d also like to see them try some different configurations for PP1 to mix it up a bit. I think Hyman could give us more special teams value as a strong penalty killer as opposed to on the first PP.

Kane - McD - Brown
Hyman - Drai - Bourg/Lavoie
Holloway - RNH - Foegele
Janmark - McLeod - Ryan

4 good lines with a defensive conscious on each one and you can always load up and shorten the bench when needed.

If they go 11-7 then rookie comes out RNH or Holloway into the top 6 and McLeod or Janmark to line 3.

 

[SwedishFire]

Spread the wealth:

McLeod-McDavid-Brown
Kane-Draisaitl-Foegele
Holloway-RNH-Hyman
Janmark-Ryan - x

Keeps our top guys somewhat rested and allows us to ice a balanced lineup to compete with elite teams.

I agree here. But McDavid isnt particulary good at lifting lesser talented players.

 

[MessierII]

I agree here. But McDavid isnt particulary good at lifting lesser talented players.

Patrick maroon and Zach kassian say hello

 

[Broberg Speed]

Kane-McDavid-Brown
RNH-Draisaitl-Hyman
Holloway-Mcleod-Bourgault
Foegele-Ryan-Janmark

(Lavoie, Caggiula, Pederson, Hamblin)

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Ceci
Kulak-Broberg

(Desharnais, Niemelainen)

Skinner
Campbell


So the team is worse than last year. What can even be done at the deadline to fix this mess?

Does Patrick Maroon decide to skate over another player this season?

Wish we had someone in the bottom-six to give that big dummy another beating.

Not exactly a physically intimidating lineup to fight through the excruciating 82 game regular season but you nailed the lines and pairings in the first post.

Other than sending Bourgault to Bakersfield and playing Foegele on his off wing with Holloway on his natural wing on the third-line, that's how I envision the opening day roster. You wanted to spark a little enthusiasm with Bourgault but Woodcroft will have none of that.

Let youngsters, Broberg and Holloway, play their natural sides to graduate to the NHL and let the seasoned veterans play their off sides. Hopefully Woodcroft and company see fit to do this. It's to the clubs advantage. Simplifying the developmental process.

If I had to guess Pederson makes the cut as 4th-line center and Lavoie does not make the team. Caligula is the 13th forward.

22 man roster.

Kane-McDavid-Brown
RNH-Draisaitl-Hyman
Holloway-Mcleod-Foegele (can't have a 2.75M dollar winger on the 4th line)
Ryan-Pederson-Janmark

Caggiula

Nurse-Ceci (first pairing, nothing subtle about this)
Ekholm-Bouchard (second pairing)
Broberg-Kulak (Broberg plays LD and Kulak plays RD)

Desharnais

Skinner
Campbell