Now is the time to try RNH with McDavid...

[CupofOil]

Nope, will never happen. Draisaitl is the winger until Nuge gets traded. Might as well just come to terms with it. Trying Nuge on wing would be trying something new which is a foreign concept to this coaching staff.

 

[48g90a138pts]

With Strome and Khaira playing C full-time, and the season a lost cause, now is the perfect time to try it:

RNH - McDavid - Slepyshev
Lucic - Drai - Aberg
Cammy - Strome - JP
Pakarinen - Khaira - Kassian

Let's get it done TMacT.

I wouldn't mind seeing RNH tried on the wing. I like your lineup except for Puljujarvi, I'd put him up on the second line with the Dr. And I'd sit Cammalleri over Caggiula.


RNH - McDavid - Slepyshev
Lucic - Drai - Puljujarvi
Aberg - Strome - Caggiula
Pakarinen - Khaira - Kassian

Cammalleri

 

[FlameChampion]

Dont see why they cant let RNH play with McDavid, just to see how they work together. McDavid is terrible at faceoffs, so RNH could take them off. Draisaitl is more capable of running his own line than RNH. Doesnt it just make sense? Yet the coaching staff is once again too stubborn to try.

 

[syz]

Kinda bizarre because I feel like this coaching staff just had nothing but centres over their entire time in SJ and found ways to make their lines work. But for some reason now they just don't bother.

They did have Drai with RNH for a bit in the playoffs and they seemed to do well.

 

[Soundwave]

Todd has basically never tried McDavid with RNH or Strome ... it's bizarre honestly.

 

[MessierII]

Todd has basically never tried McDavid with RNH or Strome ... it's bizarre honestly.

He’s played with Strome a decent amount. Started the year with Strome and they’ve gone back to it briefly. Nuge has legitimately never played a single game 5 on 5 with mcdavid in 3 seasons now though which is ridiculous. I get that TMac likes Nuge at center but you have to try it.

 

[PatrikOverAuston]

TMacT is by and large an idiot, that's why.

 

[Soundwave]

He’s played with Strome a decent amount. Started the year with Strome and they’ve gone back to it briefly. Nuge has legitimately never played a single game 5 on 5 with mcdavid in 3 seasons now though which is ridiculous. I get that TMac likes Nuge at center but you have to try it.

Strome and McDavid played together in pre-season, but that's basically it as far as I can remember (outside of some PP time which RNH also gets now and again with McDavid).

 

[rboomercat90]

Mclellan has been mirroring Eakins all year. I wonder if he’ll play Nuge 28 minutes tonight to welcome him back.

 

[Soundwave]

They'll never try it even though they scored in like the 20 seconds they got to play together, lol.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

If you want to try RNH on LW (and judging by the lines from today's practice it's not happening tonight), sure go ahead. It's garbage time anyway.

Just my opinion though, I don't see RNH looking better on the wing than Draisaitl does. If I had to pick one of them to play wing and one to play center, the best combination is RNH at center and Drai on the wing.

And I couldn't care less about the "Drai needs to play center to earn his 8.5M" argument. Why does he have to? To make the fans feel better?

The way I look at it, they're paying Drai and RNH a total of 14.5M for their skillsets, and they should be deployed in a way that most helps the team. If that means Drai on the wing with McDavid to make one of the most proven lethal combos in the entire NHL, and RNH centering his own line then that's what should happen. Perhaps once we have better wingers to offer, putting Drai on his own line will make sense once again. Problem is, we don't right now.

Actually I think you reverse it.

As you said, I think Nuge would be just as effective on McDavid's wing as Drai is, but without a doubt Drai is a better player/centre than Nuge.

Thus you're better off with with McDavid and Drai on separate lines, and Nuge bouncing between their wings depending on fit.

Hell if they are so adamant about Nuge at centre (why though...), Then move McDavid to RW.

 

[oobga]

They'll never try it even though they scored in like the 20 seconds they got to play together, lol.

I think there will be more partial line changes in the future. Up to these guys to make use of their 20 seconds per night together.

 

[Paperbagofglory]

The definition of insanity is trying something once, have it work 30 seconds in of said experiment and then never doing it again.

Todd McLlellan

 

[Todd from Leduc]

I say try McD and RNH at Wing, why not?

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

id guess a lot of us said this in pre season.

 

[Jamin]

I like the idea of Drai on his own line because he is better and would bring more offence.

But if RNH and mcdavid don't work move him back to 2nd line and drai as winger. Don't trade a center for a winger

 

[fuswald]

Mclellan has been mirroring Eakins all year. I wonder if he’ll play Nuge 28 minutes tonight to welcome him back.

Around 20 minutes same as Drai and Lucic

 

[fuswald]

I like the idea of Drai on his own line because he is better and would bring more offence.

But if RNH and mcdavid don't work move him back to 2nd line and drai as winger. Don't trade a center for a winger

This all day especially if the centre is decent like RNH

 

[Soundwave]

It'd be funny if

RNH McDavid Draisaitl

Is actually the best Oilers line that has great chemistry, lol. Wouldn't surprise me either.

 

[SomeDudeOTI]

It'd be funny if

RNH McDavid Draisaitl

Is actually the best Oilers line that has great chemistry, lol. Wouldn't surprise me either.

I've had that thought as well

 

[fuswald]

This all day especially if the centre is decent like RNH

This will be done sneakily. Centre for D then different D for a winger.

 

[KickHimPedro]

I’ve wanted RNH on McDavid’s wing for the last two years. Just try it!! They’re going to trade him for an inferior player without ever trying it. Mind numbing.

Anyone notice Nuge rarely even gets PP time with McDavid? The only time they’re both out there is on a 5 on 3 or with the goalie pulled. I understand Nuge is the depth guy, but if he’s worth putting with McDavid in the most desperate times, isn’t he also worth at least giving it a shot 5 on 5?

 

[ekcut]

TMac : We will give everyone a chance to earn a spot beside McDavid.
Every Reporter in Alberta: RNH should get a shot on LW beside McDavid
TMac : I'll show them!!!

He is too commited now to try it. IF it works, and everyone has been saying it all season long...since pre-season too long before things went sideways, if they play well together he will look like the biggest fool around.

 

[nexttothemoon]

Good idea... I agree.

Regrettably, now that the coaching staff has perfected the ability to have the PK and PP both firing at DFL levels (a very difficult feat to achieve actually)... I doubt any idea even remotely logical or sensible as trying RNH with McDavid will be met with a positive reception.

Get back to the X's and O's on that whiteboard... they've got history to make if they want to remain dead f***ing last on their specialty teams and prove that you STILL can't get fired even after achieving that.

 

[bobbythebrain]

Strome and McDavid played together in pre-season, but that's basically it as far as I can remember (outside of some PP time which RNH also gets now and again with McDavid).

Strome played a game on McD's wing not too long ago but there's a reason you don't remember it. Nothing happened worth remembering